


Ouch! I think I fell for you

by Fluffy134567890



Series: Ouch! I think I fell for you [1]
Category: Louis Tomlinson - Fandom, One Direction (Band)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Cute, F/M, Finished, I Tried, I mean, I'm Sorry, Love, Romance, Smut, Story, Vacation, an overwhelming amount, but not like, i dont plan my chiz out - Freeform, it exists tho, lets see how this goes, like i said before, mature - Freeform, not in one direction, one direction - Freeform, well its the one direction fandom anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-23
Updated: 2014-08-29
Packaged: 2018-02-05 20:57:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 59,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1832023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fluffy134567890/pseuds/Fluffy134567890
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's about a girl who asks her... difficult neighbor (Louis Tomlinson) to be her boyfriend during a family get-together.Finished! whoooooo</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Single girl blues

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I don't know how short or how long this fic is going to be, but it is now finished, ayyy. Thanks for looking and reviewing and just... being, existing just... thanks a bunches!  
> P.S None of One Direction belongs to me. Unfortunate, I know. Most of the characters are original, and if you see a celebrity or something... not mine.

 

      I shoved my fingers through my hair and looked around my apartment and smiled. It was not a bad apartment, pretty cheap for it’s quality and placement, but definitely affordable. The floor wasn’t completely cracked up like the last couple of places I looked at, and the ceiling was leak-stain free, so I was already happy. The kitchen and the living room sort of merged, with the living room straight as you walked into the door. Then behind the living room, the terrain of carpet turned into tile, morphing into a kitchen. To the right of the living room was a door that-if opened- would lead into the only bedroom of the apartment. and to the right of that door was another one, which would lead into the only bathroom of the apartment.

I kicked off my shoes at the doorway and walked into the the kitchen, running my fingertips over the counter- _my_ counter- and smiled again. I came from a small town where no one lived on their own, and now I was here- in New York City- living in my own apartment, with nothing but my own thoughts to disrupt me. Which was enough. I quickly moved out of the kitchen, though, because the tile was shockingly cold on the soles of my feet.

My furniture was supposed to be showing up tomorrow, and all of my crap the day after. My mother awarded me with a couch and a mattress, and my cousin gifted me with a bed frame, and that’s really all I needed  since the kitchen came with a stove, microwave and- amazingly- a dishwasher.

I lay down on the mess of sheets and blankets I had made on the floor, then fell back onto a pillow that (some) people would refer to as an elbow, and sighed. It had been my first day of New York-an citizenship, and let me tell you- it was pretty interesting. I managed to actually get some work done today, and I actually cooked on my own stove- granted, it was rice, but hey- rice is good.

I mean, it’d be better with salt...or butter… or both, but at least im not starving on my first day in a new city. I fell asleep to the thought of the endless possibilities of an equally as endless city.

* * *

      I opened my eyes, accompanied by a gross just-woke-up sound, and then shut them again. _It’s okay… just...sleep_...Until something nudged at my brain through the empty void of unconsciousness, telling me that I had to be somewhere at precisely 8:00 in the morning. I groaned and stuck my arm out, patting the ground in the general direction that I believe to have left my phone lying. My hand finally hit the cold metal, and i brought it to my face, forcing one eye open to look at the time. The blurry number slowly came into focus in bold black coloring, shouting 7:00 at me. I smirked “ ** _HAH_**! I woke up late, and still early.” I sing-songed at the phone, relieved that I had an entire hour before I would be late.

After a nice long five minutes of extra sleep, another pesky thought tapped at my consciousness. It was the fact that I lived in New York City, and the traffic could actually take up the hour that I thought I had. My eyes snapped open and I jumped to my feet, the remnants of sleep completely dissipated. “Fuck.” I complained, grabbing the nearest shirt and pant set that I could find, and hopped into the shower, grumbling to myself about traffic and how no one should have to rush an hour early. Just a bunch of nonsense, really.

I immediately crossed the tiny expanse of my bathroom to reach the mirror and sink duo, and peered into the reflection-ey surface, making a face at my appearance. I’m not pretty. I mean, there are a lot of women/young adults out there who say “I’m not pretty.” when everything on their bodies were perfect to no end. But I… I’m not pretty. I just learned to accept it and move on. My skin was a caramel color, my eyes a dark brown _. Like my soul_ I thought jokingly to myself, and scratched my cheek. I had an average figure, not skin and bones, but I wasn’t too large either.My hair was in braids- I tried to keep it that way- mostly because I was lazy, but also because I think it distracts people away from my face.I had a light dusting of freckles across the apples of my cheeks and the bridge of my nose, and full lips that my best friend used to say people would kill for, so I had that going for me. I Decided to end my check out session there, while I was still in a decent mood. Unfortunately that plan was moot, because as soon as I turned away from the mirror, my feet foot slipped on a stray drop of water and I tumbled comedically to the floor.

* * *

      I pushed open the door to the building, walking up to the receptionist in the lobby. I was here because my actual job demanded that I show up at this building for two weeks straight.My job consisted of me working on different websites that needed servicing, and I was paid by meeting a weekly quota. I only had to do so much HTML or CSS or whatever it is they needed me to do within seven days (quality, of course) and I would be paid for it. I loved my job because I could do it anywhere, at any time, without anyone breathing down my neck about it. And I loved programming, so there’s that.

Wait… this receptionist had left me to my thoughts for way too long. She looked up from typing something and put on a smile so false, I was surprised that she didn't have an actual medal for being a quality receptionist. “May I help you with something?” she asked, shaking her hair out of her face. She was downright gorgeous. Everything that girls like me wish they could look like. She had strawberry blonde hair and green eyes, her skin perfectly tanned. “Yeah, well I have to come to this stupid job for two stupid weeks to do stupid programming for some stupid computers.” I said nonchalantly.

I then noticed that most people would have had some sort of negative reaction to that comment, but she just smiled, this one genuine. She leaned in and said in a valley voice, “I know, right? Oh my god, this job gives me body pains and I don't even have to do anything.” I smiled at her, surprised by her answer. “If it helps, I have body pains and I haven't even seen the computers yet.” I whispered, leaning in too. “Okay, who are you, and how do I enlist your constant availability?” She asked, smiling.

“Pay me a jillion dollars a day.” I stated, and she raised her eyebrow.

“ I can make that happen.” she joked, and pointed towards where I needed to go to get my work done.

On the way out of the office the next day, I saw her doing whatever it is that receptionists do. (and it turns out, her name is Jenny, and she was pretty fucking sick. We were supposed to hang out for the second time tomorrow at my apartment, since all of my shit had arrived a day early, and I needed help unpacking.) I leaned over her desk and peered at her computer, smiling. “Are you playing World of Warcraft?” I asked, genuinely interested. I loved that game and had dedicated a pretty long while to it, so the fact that she played just was exciting to say the least. “Um… noooo….” she said, quickly exiting out of the screen. “Hey, what’s your name anyway?” She asked. Right before I walked away I exclaimed “my username is jeefberky! Oh! And my name is Cecily.”

When I got home, I barely had the energy to kick off my shoes and eat something- I still hadn’t gone grocery shopping, so my grainy delicacy was being served to my taste buds again- before it was 8:00. While 8:00 was bit early to go to bed, I was tired, and the bed and mattress I managed to drag into my bedroom was beginning to look pretty sexy.

I flopped on the bed and my face fell flat into my pillow, making a dull thumping noise as soon as I made contact. I gathered the energy to pull the sheets up around me and grab my security blanket- _what_ I’ve had it since I was three years old, don't judge me- before I was out like a light.

 _bang…..thump….bang….bang..bang.bangbangbang_ …”What the actual _**fuck**_!” I groaned into my pillow, having been forcibly ripped from my blissful sleep. The banging continued and then halted-Thank _god-_ Wait... was that….giggling? Oh. My. God, it was. This was the second night in a row that my sleep had been interrupted by violent thumps against my wall. It was my neighbor. He/she, whoever it was that lived next door to me, apparently had a bedroom right next to mine, with walls that must’ve been made of paper, because for two nights in a row, all I could hear was aggressive fucking on the other side of the plaster. And it was messing with my emotional balance. My _chi_ if you will-I had work for god’s sake, and all I could hear was another women being dutifully taken care of. And I was a woman who was not being taken care of at all, thank you very much. So 30% of my anger went to my jealousy of this woman, because something had to be right for her to be so damn loud. I imagined myself getting up and slamming my palm against the wall, demanding for them to cease their actions, but I was already drifting off back to sleep, and it seemed like they had ceased their ministrations, at least for the moment.

* * *

    I reached into a box and pulled out yet another stuffed animal, throwing it on the growing pile behind me. “Wow, it’s funny cuz I don't remember packing all of these toys.” I said, reaching back into the box. “Look, I have _no_ idea how you're surviving without a TV.” Jenny stated, gazing at the empty space in front of my couch where a television would normally go. “ I haven't gotten around to getting to a thrift store yet. I was sans TV in my room where I lived, so I guess i'm used to it.” I said, pulling out something useful. “ _ **HAH!**_ Measuring spoons!” I exclaimed, noticing that only half of the set was actually in my hand. I looked down, to where the other half of the set had fallen to the ground. Oh.

A couple hours later my eyes were hooded as I draped myself over the couch, Jenny making a weird face at a box she was working on. She walked up to me, her long hair tickling my nose. “Hey… um… so… you look tired. Too tired to help me unpack your shit." she said, standing over me." There better be a good reason for this.” I opened my eyes and sighed. “My neighbor has a lot of loud sex, right next to my room. It’s impossible to sleep, I tell you. I woke up three times to a downright illegal concoction of moaning and aggressive bed squeaking.” I said, rubbing my forehead with my palm.

“Why don't you just tell her to stop?” Jenny questioned.

“It could be a he.”

“Why don't you tell him to stop, then?”

“Because I didn't think about doing that at all.” I said, sitting up and walking over to the door, slipping on my shoes.

“Where are you going?”She asked, throwing her hands in the air.

“To tell him/her whoever that I have chronic insomnia.”

I opening the door and stepped out. Jenny stepped out with me, and we both traveled to the door next… door and I stood in front of it, raising my hand to knock, right as the door opened and a girl stumbled out, a huge smile on her face. Her hair was completely ruined, and she was carrying her shoes, her clothes hanging precariously off her body. I watched her hobble away, thinking horribly mean thoughts in her direction, until I heard a throat clear. I turned towards the sound, which was coming from my neighbor’s doorway.

A man stood there, leaning against the doorway, looking bored.

_Wait._

Like, just a second.

**Whoa.**

Um…. he was… hot. To say the least. he had strong facial features, a jawline that could force anyone to their knees, thin lips and an eye color that shocked me into standing in one place. They were… blue. But an impossible blue, a cerulean blue. A beautiful blue. but why stop there? He had mid-length hair that suited him well, a nice brown color.

My eyes traveled down.

He had a strong collarbone, and was wearing a deep reddish shirt with long sleeves that hugged his stomach. A flat, _toned_ stomach from the looks of it. He was wearing tight black jeans that showed off the fact that he had nice legs and-

“do you… need something?” My eyes snapped back to his, but I quickly looked away, because that kind of blue would deem me speechless, and I was already a mess. “I wanted to talk to you about your… late night… doings.” I said weakly, losing all the confidence I had when I walked over here. I thought that if there was going to be a man as my neighbor that he would look like a bridge troll or something. But I was so, so, _so_ wrong. And I was caught off guard. “My... what, now’s?” He asked, his face saying “confused” but his eyes saying “amused”. His voice was high pitched with a strong british accent, adding to his overall charm.

I have...never…wanted someone like this before.

“Okay.. well.. like… youhavesexatnightandicantsleep.” I stated in one breath, glad that I finally got that out.

“I was doing what, now?” He asked, smiling at me. But it was a suspicious smile, one that told me he knew exactly what I had said, and was only interested in seeing me squirm.

And I did just that.

“Okay, well, like, every night-not that...well, okay just...it seems like every night, you and someone else are being violently harassed in your bedroom. Against a bedpost. loudly.” I choked out, trying not to stare at him.

Then he actually had the nerve to laugh, (something that I would pay to listen to) and little did he know, I was actually ready to punch him. (In the stomach, maybe, to see if there was any give there or not)

“Are you telling me to stop having sex?” He asked, his smile drooping. “Because, to be honest, love, i’m not quite sure I could do that.” He said, running his fingers through his long hair.I bet it was soft. “Well, not… stop completely-i mean, you are a guy- but maybe you can quiet it down, some. I just… it’s keeping me up at night. My room is right next to yours, and it’s an absolute nightmare for sleeping. especially since I have work.” I said, picking at the bottom of my shirt so that I wouldn't have to look into those eyes of his. I saw his body shift through my eyelashes and looked up, noticing that he was leaning against his doorway, studying me. I had an urge to cover up, even though I was appropriately dressed. Way better dressed than the girl who had exited his apartment earlier, anywhom.

“Number 1: I have work, too, love. Maybe you should learn how to sleep through noise, it _is_ New York City. Letter B: I can’t help that I am amazing in bed. And Numero 3rd: I will have to decline the offer, thank you.” He said, and promptly shut the door in my face.

* * *

 

I turned to my doorway, catching eyes with Jenny, who was peeking out through the doorway. She raised her eyebrows and made a knocking motion, signaling that I shouldn't give up.So I raised my palm to his door, and slammed it down against the wood, much like I had wanted to the night before.

After a good amount of banging and screaming “Hey!” at his door, the offending item opened, and the same annoyed looking hot man stood there, glaring at me. “ ** _What_**?” he asked, crossing his arms and looking at me expectantly. “I am… I am _offended_.” I said, truthfully. Because, I really couldn’t figure out what else to say. “Why are you ' _offended_ '?” He asked, uncrossing his arms, his fingers tapping his thigh from impatience. “Because you slammed a door in my face! I was asking you nicely-and... and you answered me with a door to the face?” I demanded in anger, surprised at my aggressiveness to a man i’ve never met before who-quite frankly- looked downright terrifying when he was annoyed. I’m not sure I wanted to see him angry, actually.  

“better than a bananer to the face.” He whispered under his breath, giving a slight smile.

“ _What_.”

“ _Nothing._ " He stressed. "Look, what if I told you it was the wind that closed my door in your face?” he replied with a smirk.

“I-”

“Or, what if I told you there was a poltergeist named Kevin living with me? And he gets jealous when strange women meddle in my sex life?”

I was deemed absolutely speechless. He was horrible. Absolutely terrible. I just shook my head at him. “Did you know that women fake orgasms to make their partners feel better?” I gave him the same smirk he had been throwing at me, and his own cocky smile disappeared. He didn't say anything, probably because if he did, he'd look more stupid than if he hadn't said anything at all. I walked away- satisfied- and stepped into my apartment, shutting the door behind me.

Jenny looked at me expectantly “So…did he agree to be less of a dick basket?”

“No, but I reminded him that he’s not the best thing to have set foot on this planet, and that maybe he should ask his partner(s) if they enjoy acting.” I said, draping myself back over the couch.

“Did you even catch his name?” Jenny asked, sitting on the couch next to me, closing her eyes.

“No, should I have?”

“Yes, did you _see_ him? There’s a reason he’s getting it. ‘Agressively.’” Jenny replied.

I glanced at her, offended. “Oh, no I absolutely am never going to talk to him again.”

* * *

      “ _ **WHAT**_!” I asked- well, more like screamed- into the phone, shocked through and through by this statement. “Your brother is getting married and you need to be there.” My mom said, sounding exasperated. Maybe because she’s already had to say that to me 5 times. “Well, I’ll be there, then. No big deal. None. At _all_.” I said, scratching the back of my neck. Look, I love my family, and all, and it was about time for me to go back and visit, but… they wanted me to be in love way too much. No lie, they would always ask me about a future husband on a regular basis. I can’t explain to anyone how happy they would be if I say the word “relationship” or even “one night stand” to them. They were desperate, and it was annoying. “How’s the boyfriend? He’s coming, isn't he?” My mom asked, her voice full of more interest than it had been on the phone this entire phone call.

You'd think she'd be excited about my brother getting _married_.

“He’s… good. great, um… awesome.” I bit the back of my finger, hoping she wouldn't notice that-

“You didn't tell me if he'd be coming or not.” my mom said sternly, and I knew for a fact that I could not show up to that house  alone. “Is… is Lena going to be there?” I asked, trying to wipe the scowl off my face, for fear that my mom would feel its presence through the phone. She gave a hefty sigh “Yes, Cecily.And I expect you to be nice with her. Now, what does that have to do with your boyfriend?” Everything. “Nothing. He can go, it’s fine, mom.” I said, and she gave me an “I love you” and proceeded to hang up.

I made a loud strangled noise and slapped my head in my hands, panicking. I can't believe I agreed to that! I've been here for a good five to six months, and I didn't know any men that I could drag along with me. Okay… I didn't have a boyfriend. I told my mom that I was going on a date about a month after I had moved in here, and she thought the relationship had spiraled into something, and every attempt I made to dispel the rumor, she would say something like “I’m so glad you’re happy!” or “Your father has just been telling everyone about you two!” and I had nothing to say after that, so I just let her keep believing it all, because at least someone thinks I'm not lonely. I picked up my phone and called Jenny. Maybe she'd be able to point me in at least One Direction.

“Oh. My Gosh what’s up!” She sing song-ed through the phone, her voice higher pitched through the speaker. I told her my entire situation, even though she already knew about the boyfriend part. “I told you to tell your mom and dad that he was all a lie.” She said, and I could practically feel her “I told you so” attitude through the phone.

“Well, do you have any ideas?” I all but begged.

“Haha, no. You should've taken the time to make more guy friends. All the ones I have are really… well...one night stands. And that one guy.” She said thoughtfully. “Well, who is he?” She laughed out loud. “He’s actually a woman.”

I laid back on my sofa and groaned out loud. I was supposed to be leaving in exactly one week, how could I find someone that I was pretty sure wouldn't murder me? “You could always ask hotness next door.” she said, and I was actually offended.

“You did _not_  suggest that.” For all the months that I’ve been living here, me and my unnamed foe have been at it. It began with me banging against his wall when his pow-wows got too loud, and then it continued when he started doing things like leaving notes at my door saying “I slept like a baby, how bout you?” and it was basically an all out war. While he wasn’t exactly rude to me, he was still terrible, and I think I hated him. Maybe. Well, I wasn’t sure anyone could hate someone who looks like that. I had only actually seen him a few times- our interactions tended to be through notes or screaming through walls- and he never ceased to take my breath away.

“It’s your only option, am I right?”

I nodded begrudgingly.

“And he’s super cute.” She continued, as if she knew I had nodded. Ugh. Lena. “I'd rather show up there with a wild story about how we broke up than showing up with that basket of asshole.” I said, sitting up and staring at the door, despite what I just said. Because to be truthful, the thought of showing up to the house- especially with Lena there- alone, was basically a horror movie in the making.

“I feel like you're going to ask him.”

“I… I _am_.” I said, holding back a groan and hanging up, shoving off the couch and walking to my door, hand hovering over the door knob. I twisted the offending object and stepped out into the cool hallway, adventuring over to his door, raising my hand to knock. I took a deep breath, and moved my fist, murmuring a string of  “fuck” 's to myself, hoping he wouldn't be home or something.

The door opened and he was standing there, gorgeous as ever, raising his eyebrows at me. “Are you here to remind me of how _perfect_  my sex life is?” He asked, leaning against the doorway. It was one of his favorite things to do, it seemed. It was actually pretty torturous, because his body stretched gracefully towards it, and it was basically painful for me to look at. he happened to be wearing a blue long sshirt that showed off the little bit of his chest tattoo with a hoodie over it. The tattoo was obviously a word or phrase, but I had no idea what it happened to be. I also haven’t had the pleasentry of seeing his arms- but I think they had tattoos on them, also. My mom would have a fit.

“No… I… I have to ask you a… favor.”

He laughed, probably harder than I've ever heard him laugh before “You want me… to _help_ you?”

“Yes… Um…  I have a family event.. that I have to attend, and-” He interrupted me.

“You want me to come with you as a stand in boyfriend because you are crass and lonely?”

Well at least he didn't make me finish my sentence.

I nodded weakly, suddenly nervous. I didn't even know this guy’s name and the only thing I did know about him is that he was clever with comebacks and wasn't afraid to say anything, really. I wasn't actually sure that he wasn't  a murderer.

“Well, if I'm going to go with you, you're going to have to tell me a day.” He said, stepping out of the doorway and closing his door, locking it. He was on his way out, I guess that’s why he was wearing the hoodie. It was a rainy day. Otherwise, the summer was nice, and I could see why my brother was getting married soon, the weather was prettier every day it seemed. “Um… Friday… you'll have to pay for your own plane ticket, though. I’m sure I could try to pay you later or something.” I said, cracking my knuckles. He gave me a slight smirk. “No, it’s okay… I've got it. I’ll do the whole trip.” He said, walking up to me. It was actually overwhelming, being in close proximity with him. I gulped.

“My plane ticket… and yours… there and back?” I asked, amazed. Since when was he so nice?

“Yeah.” I was amazed, but I wasn't gunna question it any further, in fear that he'd change his (mentally challenged) mind. “I'll buy the tickets while i'm out.” He called as he walked down the hallway, jamming the button to the elevator. I watched him leave, shocked to the core. I mean, why would he agree to that so readily? Without checking his schedule, or…anything reasonable. I sighed-much like my mom had earlier today- and walked into my apartment.

* * *

     Friday morning rolled around, and I was panicking. Why? Because we were supposed to leave today and he had said nothing to me about plane tickets, or fare, or times, or anything. Whenever I tried to check up on him, he wasn't home, and I was unable to reach him. All the notes I left by his door went unanswered, and it was absolutely nerve-wracking. I had packed up, though, from hope that he would come through. I glanced at the clock. It was 6:30, the perfect time for us to be catching a plane. _Fuck_ I should've known better than to let a stranger do anything for me. I’d have to wait til tomorrow to-

someone knocked on the door.

I all but ran to the door and wrenched it open. I looked up into his eyes, going for a full “glare” kind of look.

But alas.

I had forgotten about those gorgeous blue eyes, and I was immediately sucked into them. I'm pretty sure I forgot my own name, actually.

“Are. You. Ready. To. Go.” I heard him say, and I finally focused on something else other than those eyes, the point of focus being how annoyed he sounded. As if he had asked me that question ten times already.

“What? Yeah, i'm ready to go, i'm packed and stuff…” Then I remembered that I was mad at him. “And you! You show up at my door the day of without any kind of warning or anything about whether or not you'll actually pull through? Or even have the plane tickets? I should have never, _eve_ r-” He cut me off by placing a long, slim finger against my mouth and leaned in. “I don’t know why you’re throwing a bitch fit. I’m here, now.” I leaned back, partly because I was-yet again- offended, and partly because his nearness affected me.

A lot.

I just rolled my eyes and grabbed my things, stepping outside of the door behind him. And throughout the entire trip i tried not to think about how his finger felt against my mouth.

A lot.

 

 

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	2. Love is a four letter word. But so is hate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cecily and Louis' first day at the house

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hayyyyyy. So it's chapta 2 time! And I didn't expect to finish this chapter so soon, but here it iiissssss.

We both ended up having to sit in opposite seats on the plane, something to do with our tickets or something, so I hadn't had much time to prepare him. Once we touched down, I rented a car.

We were going to driving for a while since my parents lived in a rural Idaho town. Sure, the town had a proper name, but everyone called it “The Craic.”, because it seemed… fitting. “Soooooo…. What’s your name?” He asked, his voice momentarily distracting me.

“My name is Cecily. And Don't scare me like that! I could've gotten into a wreck.”

“Yeah, it'd be so easy to get into a wreck on a one-lane road. That’s empty. And surrounded by grassy plains on both sides. Plus, how was I supposed to warn you that I was going to speak? By grabbing your steering wheel and yanking it sharply to the right?” He asked, his voice actually dripping with sarcasm. I didn't say anything, mostly because he was right, but also because I was looking out for an exit that I needed to take.But mostly because he was right. “My name is Louis, thanks for asking.” He murmured under his breath.

“Well, Louis, thank you. For… acting like my boyfriend for this whole thing, and for dropping whatever plans you had and stuff and… yeah.” I glanced in his direction and I saw an actual, genuine smile. And it lit up his entire face. It went straight to his eyes, scrunching them up, somehow making him more beautiful than ever before. I quickly turned my head to the road, not sure if i'd be able to handle looking at his face for any longer without _actually_ getting into a wreck.

* * *

We pulled up onto the gravel of my parents driveway and I looked through the car window at the house. It was a quaint country home with four bedrooms and three baths, and it was painted a bright yellow, with white shutters. It looked like the kind of place that would have a table on the porch with a pitcher of lemonade or iced tea sitting on it. I got out of the car and slammed the door, walking around back to grab my bags. Louis was already back there, the trunk open, and he shook his head, pulling out all the luggage himself, slinging a couple of bags over his shoulder and slammed the trunk of the car closed, picking up the rest of the bags. I looked at him, surprised. His muscles strained against his sweater, and that surprised me even more. He looked down at me, moving disturbingly closer, and I gulped. He put a suitcase down and took my chin between his slim fingers, pulling his face close to mine. “You’re welcome, love. I know it must’ve been… difficult asking me.” His warm breath washed across my face, and it smelled like spearmint and heaven.

I heard my mom screaming “ _Cece_!” behind me, and I turned around, smiling, and hugged her close. I missed her a lot, and I hadn't realised -not really- until now. I smoothed her graying hair down on the way out of the hug, and then she was immediately turning on the soles of her feet towards Louis. “He _ **llo**_ , there!” she said,her voice dripping in candy and honey.I resisted the urge to slap my palm against my forehead. Multiple times.

He smiled at her, and it was a warm smile, like she had been in his life since before he was born, like she was the most important person in the world to him. “Hi!” he laughed as he put down another suitcase and hugged her with both arms, the bags he was carrying on his arm accidently bumping against her sides. She moved away and smiled.

“Well, you are handsome aren't you?” She patted his biceps. And not because she was a sickly old lady without control of her limbs, but because she was a pervy old lady without control over her manners. He wiggled his eyebrows at me over my head and I responded with a sharp shake of my own.

She turned to look at me and I turned the shaking to nodding and gave her a slight thumbs up, but as soon as she turned back around, I began shaking my head again. He shot me a slight glare as my mom said

“So, hot stuff, what’s your name?” He gave a loud, conspicuous cough.

“Um, Louis. Louis Tomlinson.” It was my first time hearing his last name for myself, and I raised my eyebrows from intrigue. “Well, Louis Tomlinson, why don't you let my son help you with those bags while I chat with my daughter?” But it wasn't really a question. What solidified that fact was when my mom grabbed my elbow and all but forced me up to the porch. I looked back at Louis and he was laughing, his eyes a brighter blue than normal.

After dragging me through the door and to the kitchen, my mom looked at me expectantly.

“What?” I asked, picking at my fingernails.   

 “Well, who is he?” It seemed like the wind roared through my ears as I realised I had to bullshit this entire answer. I hadn’t even known his name before today, let alone who he was.

Um…. “He’s told me a lot about himself, but he says that I should keep things like his job and stuff to myself for now. I mean, until he’s ready.”  I replied, trying not to make him sound like the container of stale crackers that he was. My mom nodded, though, and took my hand.

“ So, guess what we're making for dinner tonight?” my dad asked, walking into the house through the back door.

I grinned at him and he pulled me into a hug. I stepped away and yelped in excitement. Why? Because my mom was an amazing cook, and any food got me excited, let alone good food.

“We're having hot dogs. And chips.”

Okay, was it a bad thing that my stomach dropped from the sheer disappointment of his statement? I slit my eyes at my dad and turned to my mom, silently begging for her support. Not that I didn’t love hot dogs, because- _trust_ me- I did. But… from the way he wound me up, I’d have expected something to come out of his mouth like “hamburger hot dish”-My favorite meal- or something of the sort. “Hot dogs it is!” Mom called over her shoulder, and I tried to keep the pout off my face as Louis sauntered in through the door, my brother stumbling with the bags behind him. I don't understand how Louis managed to rope Xavier- my to-be-married brother- into carrying 90% of the luggage.

Actually, the only bags Louis was actually carrying were his own. I ran over to my struggling sibling and took some of the bags from him, shoving them into Louis’ arms, and then grabbed the rest, leaving only a few to come back forThe amount of luggage I had forced Louis to hold didn’t even seem to be a bother to him.

Asshole.

My dad approached Louis and he put a bag down and took my father's hand and shook it, saying “Hi, Mr.Boyle. I'm Louis Tomlinson-” My father dropped his hand and glared at Louis-much in the way that stereotypical fathers from cheesy romantic comedies would do- and said “I'll lead you to your room in just a second.” then he walked away to go say something to my mom before leading us upstairs.

I turned to Louis while my father was focused on his hushed discussion with mom.

“Okay, look. My parents are really strict. So, they'll put us in separate bedrooms for the week, and we have to-” I put up quotation marks in the air with my fingers. “‘try to’ stick to their rules. I'm _sure_ it'll be hard for us.” I finished, and Louis looked at me blankly.I could practically see him sorting through my sentence to come up with a response.

“I’ll say.” He said, and winked at me.

 ** _Really_**.

“Alright, come on.” My dad said, gesturing at us to follow him. Louis glanced at me quickly, grabbing the bag he had put down earlier, and disappeared behind my father up the steps. I followed suit.

Once we reached the farthest door on the left, Louis and my dad were already standing there, my father engrossed in something on his phone. It was actually my room, the door that they were standing in front of. I placed my bags on the floor. “So, where is he sleeping? On the couch? On the roof?” And while my father wasn't looking I mouthed “In a gutter?” at Louis. He mouthed “Fuck you, too” back at me, and it took all of my willpower not to smile.My father looked up from whatever it was he had been doing, and opened my bedroom door, promptly ignoring my question.

We all walked in and I looked around. It was just as I left it, the walls a horrendous orange color, a bed (They had given me a spare one to take with me to New York) covered in Halo sheets with black and green pillows to match. I apologize for nothing.

Cept for the wall colors, absolutely horrible.

Oh! and the floor was wood paneling. 

I laid my luggage down by the foot of my bed while Louis’ luggage was resting just outside of my door. My dad scratched his head. “Look…I don't particularly _agree_ with this- actually, I completely _disagree_ with this- but… he’s sleeping in here.” I rolled my eyes. I had _just_ set my stuff down. “Okay, so where am I sleeping?” I asked, swatting away Louis’ finger as he poked me-harshly- in the ribcage for no apparent reason.

“Here.” My dad said solemnly.

“ _ **What**_ -” I all but screamed, pressing my palm to my forehead as Louis just started laughing, a genuine laugh that almost made me want to start laughing too.

“I know, it’s unusual and unrealistic, but-”

“But what, dad? Since when were you okay with a boy sleeping in my room?” I aegued, trying to turn my voice from upset to excited. I don't think it was working very well, though, because Louis was raising his eyebrows at me and still silently laughing.

“I’m not okay with it. But, your brother is getting married here, and we need the extra space to house him, Rose, Anthony, _and_ Lena- who will be rooming with Rose, because _**you**_ don't know how to play well with others.” I rolled my eyes. “So you’re telling me that my brother and his own _fiancee_ can't sleep in the same room as each other, but Louis gets to sleep here?”

My dad groaned. “We have no _choice_. The girls will stay in the spare room, the boys will stay in your brother’s room, and your mother and I will stay in our room, of course. Which leaves you two in your room. It’s horrible for me, but… that’s how it’s going to have to be.”

I coughed to cover up my giggle at his accidental rhyme.

“Anthony is coming?” Anthony was my… ex-boyfriend. The boyfriend I've most recently had. He was actually my brother’s best friend since… forever, and we kind of fell together after a while. We broke up about a month or so before my move to New York City because I wanted to get used to not having him around. It wasn't until I was about two months into living in New York that I realised I didn't love him anymore. That I had never, truly loved him. I mean,the pack of stale crackers that is Louis Tomlinson was probably a better boyfriend than him.

Granted, Louis wasn't _really_ that bad.

I gagged at myself for even _thinking_ that.

“Yes, honey. He’s Xavier’s best man at this wedding, and it’d be rude to insist that he stay in an expensive hotel and-” No, it was okay. I am a grown woman, at the nice age of 24 years old. I can handle myself around a boy.

Whose 25.

But still.

“Here’s the rules. Lights out with the opposite sex at 11:00. We will check up on you- do not think we won’t." Pause. A _long_ pause as my father came into terms with what he was going to say next. "Since you two are an actual couple, I can only ask for no sex. These walls are thin, please keep that in mind.” He galred in the direction of Louis. "And breakfast starts at 10 every morning, including the day of the wedding.” I wouldn't have been surprised if mom had forced him to remember that little speech.

He beckoned for Louis with one intimidating finger to come towards him. Louis walked over to my dad and stopped at a distance where my dad couldn't reach him. My dad towered over him, with Louis being about a 5’9 and my dad being 6’2.

I gulped _for_ him.

“If you,in _any_ way hurt my daughter, I will be coming after you with some sort of scary weapon. Use your imagination and take your pick.” And then he left the room.

Louis looked at me, actual horror written on his face. I pretty sure i've never seen him so humbled before, it was actually more refreshing than any drink during any given season. He smirked.

“Your covers are sick, love.”

* * *

I was pawing through my suitcase when Louis walked into the room. _Noisily_. We had just finished dinner, (blergh) and he had stayed behind to chat with my brother about soccer. Or “football”, which is what Louis called it. Probably because he’s from the U.K.

And when I said noisily, I mean he actually accidentally slammed against the doorframe on the way in, screaming “ ** _OLE, OLE_**!” and I swear if I knew he hadn't gotten into any alcohol, i’d think he was drunk.

And he was still wearing that damned sweater.

“I’m trying to _concentrate_ , d'you think that you could keep it down? At least a little?” I asked, unzipping some random compartment of my bag to look for those fucking sleeping shorts that I swear I had packed.

He actually _kicked_ my bedroom door closed and sat down cross legged next to my suitcase, across from me.

“Excuse _me_ , sugar lips. I thought that as your hunk of man meat, I was supposed to get on your family's good side.”

I glared at him. “But if you don't want my parents disappointed that you’ll never, _ever_ come back here, I suggest you not make them wish that you were actually in the family.” He reached down and plucked a pair of boring white underwear from my growing stack of clothes. “Wow, you are really trying to impress me, huh?” I took the painties from him, placing them on the stack of clothes.

I proceeded to push my suitcase so that it was between the two of us- this way I could ignore him easily, and continued to rifle through it. “Hey, if I’m supposed to be the your prized possession, shouldn’t we know more about each other? What if your parents challenge my knowledge of you? Or vice versa?” I looked up, surprised by his question. Not really surprised by the question, but more so that the Dial-up connection that is Louis Tomlinson actually asked said question.

“Okay, well, I was born on July 11th, I moved from here to New York for a… change in, well… _everything_ , I have a job in computer coding, I'm fucking broke, and you are here to be my fake boyfriend.” I said, and looked at him expectantly.

“Well, I was born on December 24th, I’m from Doncaster, I have a cubicle job, and I wouldn't say I was broke… and I too am here to be your fake boyfriend.”

 _You left out the part that you’re fucking **gorgeous**_ I thought.

“You left out the part that you're a collage of Chupacabra anus.” I replied.

“Not as bad as when you left out that you’re a shower of cunts.”

“If i’m a shower of cunts, then you’re a storm of...” **_fuck_**. I'd accidently looked into his eyes.We had leaned closer at every insult, and I was disturbingly close to his face. My eyes flickered down to his lips. After a movie-worthy pause, he gave his customary smirk.

Oh _n-_

Then the suitcase between us mysteriously disappeared.

What I hadn’t realised was that when I was leaning in closer to him, i managed to rely a _lot_ of my balance onto the suitcase.

What he _did_ realise, though, was that i had relied a lot of my balance onto the suitcase.

I let out a loud yelp, and my arms flailed violently enough for me to become an energy source. I fell into his lap, and all I could focus on was how happy I was that I hadn’t actually died.

 ** _But I was in his lap_**.

I pulled away quickly, trying not to think about how good he smelled, or how mouth-watering close I had been to his crotch. He was laughing so hard, I was completely sure that he was going to hemorrhage. I worried for a couple seconds, but then he fell the rest of the way to the floor, clutching his stomach in laughter, and my worry morphed into anger.

* * *

“You should've seen your _face_ , love!” He choked out, wiping his bottom eye lid with his pointer finger.

Did he have to be so fucking **_dramatic_**.

Even though it was kind of funny. Okay, a lot funny. But still, it had happened _two_ hours ago.

I ignored him.

My bedroom was the only (besides my parent's) bathroom attached to a bedroom in the house. I had managed to find my shorts and a shirt ,-that was probably older than Louis’ jokes- so that was a plus side. I stepped into the room and walked up to the edge of my bed, eyeing it with a slight amount of lust.

I was tired.

It wasn't until I actually fell onto my bed-

Because I purposefully fell face first onto it

Or maybe because my toe got caught up in the floor,

\- that I realised someone who wasn’t me happened to already be settled under the duvet. A Louis person to be exact. He was thumbing at his phone, his face settled into a smile.Even though he'd definitely _not_ be sleeping in my bed, I decided not to argue with him until I was comfortable. So I crawled up next to him and tried not to notice how mussed up his hair was from having rubbed against one of my pillows.

“Why are you in my bed?” I asked calmly, too sleepy to raise my voice.

“Because I’m your boyfriend.”

“But you aren’t, actually. You should sleep on the floor. I’d get you sheets and stuff, but I don't like you enough to do something so ridiculous. I guess you could sleep on the suitcases or something.” I joked. I mean, I wasn't joking about the floor thing, but I would definately go get him some sheets and blankets and stuff.

“How would your parents react if we weren’t sleeping in the same bed?”

I had nothing to say to that. Because while my rents’ didn't want us to have _sex_ , they'd become pretty suspicious if he wasn't sleeping in the same bed as I was.

I was way too sleepy to try to come up with a readied excuse as to why he was sleeping there instead of me, so I just crawled under the covers and glared at him as best I could.

I was in the limbo between sleep and consciousness right as Louis barked out a laugh. A  _loud_ laugh.

I pried my eyes open and actually glared at him. Louis showed me his phone, and it was a snapchat of a very _famous_ Niall from a very _famous_ band.He had shaving cream all over his clothes, and in his hair, and clumps of it all over his face, with a disappointed looking boy standing next to him- Liam, I think- who was _also_ covered in shaving cream. It was captioned “Paul just LOVED your idea.” I raised my eyebrows. “You know the members of One Direction?” he nodded as if it was the most ridiculous question on Earth, and that of course a commoner -whose personality resembled bird poop- knew the members of One Direction personally. “I met them at some business conference I had to attend, and they were just as bored as I was. Until we all poured salt into the drinks.Besties ever since.”

I wasn't even mildly surprised.

“Are you going to keep me up all night, or…” I asked, my eyes already closing again. I thought about arguing with him over him _still_ being in my bed, but he was making the space under the covers warm and inviting, and all I really wanted to do was curl up into the beautiful heat and have fall asleep. “Ar you not gonna ask me if it was my idea with the salt? Because it was _not_  my idea for the salt. _Okay_ , so it was my idea with the salt, but they definitely helped.  _Okay_ , so they watched as I poured the salt. _Okay_ , so Zayn was the only one who watched me pour the salt, but I totally warned all of them afterwards. Except for Harry. It was _hilarious_.”

 _ **I bet**_. I thought, but I couldn't actually convince my mouth to say the words, so I made a noncommittal grunting noise, and he continued to talk, lulling me to sleep with his pleasant voice and inviting warmth.

 


	3. You're losing your marbles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeeeeyyyyyy, sorry about the time it took me to update- and thanks for the Kudos yeah whoo

I stretched my arms and yawned before I opened my eyes, convinced that if I stayed asleep, I could ignore the rest of my work-filled day.

_wait._

I’m not at home.

I’m at my parents house.

In my bed.

With _Louis Tomlinson_.

My eyes snapped open and I willed them to focus, sitting up fast enough to give me a headache.

I _slept_ with Louis Tomlinson last night.

Okay, not _quite_ in the context that most girls-people actually- would beg for, but still.

Not that I wanted it to be in the context that most girls would beg for.

Or anything.

I looked at the space next to me for Louis,-since I remember falling asleep beside him- and there was nothing but empty space there. The covers were pulled back, and the spot was dented and mussed up as if it had been slept in, but there was no Louis in sight.

I suppressed disappointment.

I mean, _what_.

I groaned to myself and pushed off the bed, my feet touching the wood floor. I grimaced at the sharp cold, but because I am a strong, independent woman, I kept walking. I reached the mess that way my open suitcase and looked down at the spilled contents, sighing at the limited wardrobe that was lying there in the ugly heap of clothing. I eyed the dresser that was on the same side of the room, almost convincing myself that there might be something in the worn out drawers that could be different than my normal shiite.

“Good morning, baby.” I heard from behind me, and my heart jumped. His voice sounded so high, and soothing, and there was something about the way his words caught on certain letters, or sharpened at different places. His voice was full of angles and edges, and it was different and I wanted to hear him say everything, just so that I could study the way he sounded. I took a labored breath and turned around, glaring at him. “Why-” His eyebrow raising cut me off, and his eyes darted in the direction of the hallway and back in a silent warning. My head swiveled towards the doorway, and I noticed my brother standing there looking bored.

“Why, good morning!” I practically screamed, wrapping my arms around Louis’ torso for a hug. It was a “church” hug, one where I barely touched him at all- it was really just my arms that had any contact. But-I gotta say- what I did touch (which was his back) felt nice.

My brother made a face at us, not really paying attention to the fact that we just exchanged the most un-romantic hug in the universe. “Breakfast is ready.” He said, and promptly walked away.

I immediately dropped my arms from Louis and slapped him on the chest. My reason was that he had slept in my bed last night when I had basically told him to fall down a well. I wanted to tell him to never call me pet names again because it had affected me in ways that I wasn't familiar with, but because he was almost  _obligated_ to say them, I had settled with slapping him.

“We're not even married yet and you're already violently beating me?” I decided to ignore his comment.

I noticed his outfit and then ended up checking him out (by total accident) instead.

He was wearing a black shirt this time, and it was tight- as usual. He was wearing red skinny jeans- but if anyone asked, I’d tell them they were women’s leggings- and a pair of Vans. It seemed like they were his signature shoe. I dragged my eyes back up his body- totally not gazing at his crotch- and they rested on his chest, the script of the mysterious tattoo peeking through. As per usual.

_Wait._

I did see  _something_ unusual _._

His arms were showing. No lie. I could actually see them.

The were so tan, his arms were.

I wouldn't say he was ripped, but the muscles on his arms were perfectly developed.Toned, like how I expected the rest of his body to be. On his right arm there was a plethora of tattoos. Most of them were little tiny ones, peppered on his right forearm, but there were a few bigger ones, like a rope and broken knot on his wrist, a large bird- I didn't try to figure out what kind- on his forearm, and a hunting arrow near it. There were smaller tattoos filling the spaces, though, like a tic-tac-toe tat, the word “oops” messily scrawled right underneath a tattoo of a small cup of tea, and more that I didn't have the patience to look at.

On his upper arm there was a large moose? Antelope? Deer?- carved into the skin, with a heart nestled between the Deer’s?Moose? Antelope?'s antlers.

On his left arm he had the different playing card suits-clubs, hearts, etc- wrapping around his wrist.

I was studying the careful lines of his bird tattoo when Louis was cleared his throat. I dragged my eyes away from his cluttered arm and looked at him.

“See something you like, babe?”

I shook my head-a blatant lie.Well, _he_ didn't know I was lying and that was the most important thing.

“Because, as your _boyfriend_ , i’m practically obligated to let you feel _all_ of this up.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at me and gestured to his entire body. I made a scoffing sound.

Mostly to cover up the laugh that I actually _wanted_ to make.

I slapped my palm against his arm and walked out of my bedroom door, traversing the house until I reached the dining table downstairs, taking a seat amongst the rest of the house inhabitants. I noticed that I was still donned in Spongebob Squarepants sleeping shorts and a matching shirt, but as soon as someone mentioned the word bacon, I forgot to care.

I heard a chair scrape away from the table next to me and I looked up.

Bad idea.

I tore my eyes away from his and looked down at my second-or was it third?- helping of bacon. “Glad you could make it downstairs, son.” My father said. I looked up at him- surprised by his tone-and then glanced at Louis, who was staring intently at my dad as he sat down. “Yes, sir. I was… calling my mum.”

I lie out of my teeth to my parents all the time, so I knew a shit faced fib when I heard one. But since my parents always fell for my lies, I guess they didn't have the same bullshit detector that I did.

“I’m glad that you keep so in touch with your mother! Does she live near here or…” My mom commented, distracting attention away from my father’s glare. Louis looked at her fondly.

“My parents live in London, England. Yeah, I have no choice but to keep in contact with her- she'll call me ten times over if I dont answer.” He said jokingly, with a hint of actual annoyance in his voice. “Well, I wish Cecily would be that close to us. Since she moved away, I’ll be lucky to get a call once a week!” My mom laughed, and my dad tried to glare harder at Louis, but it ended up just being more comical.

I was one hundred percent sure his eyes were going to fall out of the socket. I supressed a laugh.

“So Xavier, when is Rose flying in? And Anthony?” I asked, punching Louis in the ribs as he tried to steal my bagel. He made a groaning sound, and I just batted my eyelashes at my brother for an answer. “Both are coming in today, Rose in about an hour. Anthony is coming in at around-” He checked his watch “Noon. And it’s 10:30 n- **_f_ _uck_**! I'm late!” He practically screamed, shoving up from the table, grabbing his car keys from the pegs by the door and running out of the house. A few seconds later I heard a car turn on and pull out of the driveway.

“What was that about?” My dad wondered aloud, while my mother fanned her face with her hand. “How does he even _know_ that sort of language?” She asked, sounding actually devastated that my 23 year old brother knew cuss words.

I threw my fork down and intertwined my fingers, leaning against the dining room table on my elbow and setting my chin on the little chin throne that was formed by said fingers, and sighed. “Are we…doing anything today?” I was pretty sure that as soon as Rose got here, I would be on my toes doing bridal things for the rest of the week, so I wondered if this would be the only off day.

“Nothing that I know of. Rose and then Anthony are coming in- _oh_! No wait... that's tomorrow” I nodded, trying to slow my mom’s talking down some so she wouldn’t literally choke on her own words. She pushed away from the table and started taking up the plates. When she picked up Louis’ she asked “Do you cook, dear?” Louis shook his head, and she gave him a slight frown.

“I just… I kind of hate it, really. I’m no good.” She stared at him. “I hope you’ll find a dish to make and then prepare. At the house. Sometime this week.” My mom said casually, walking to the sink. He looked at me with actual horror written on his face, and I pointed at him and threw my head back, laughing. “Can I-” I glanced at Louis and decided that maybe I shouldn't leave him alone with my father. Especially because he had crossed his arms and pursed his lips since the last time I looked .

“Can we be excused?” I asked. My father nodded his head tersely and Louis stumbled over himself getting out of the chair. I grabbed his hand and led him upstairs to my room, shutting the door.

* * *

 

“I have to… _cook_?” Was the first thing that came out of his mouth once I turned away from the doorknob. He was standing in the middle of the room, looking genuinely worried about his future. I put my hands on my hips, amazed that he was asking me this question. “Of _course_ you have to cook, Louis. My mom said so. If she had told you that by tomorrow evening you'd have to had walked the entire length of Pluto’s surface, you would’ve done it.” He gave me a look.

“But i’ll give you food poisoning or summat.”

 _Good, maybe then my parents will stop liking you_.

“Good, maybe then my parents will stop liking you.” I said. “Look, just… look up the recipe to something that sounds complicated and follow it. Even a dingleberry like _you_ couldn't go wrong with that. And make sure it’s a night where there’s only so many of us. This way, if we all die from inhalation of your food, the entire family line won't be at stake.” he made a “haha you're so funny” face at me, and sat on the bed.

“So… how did you… end up here? If your parents live in Doncaster, anyway.” Louis looked at me, surprised that I asked him any question pertaining to his personal life, especially since we were just talking about food. I was intrigued. It’s not every day that one meets and dates-fuck- “Dates” a brit.

He rubbed his fingertips against his stubble and sighed. “Well, I wanted a change of scenery-like you. My parents aren't really...lacking the green dough, so they gave me some and let me move here- not _here_ here, but in the states- where I caught a job. The rest is history.” He said, looking at me.

“But weren’t your parents upset at all? I mean, my room was flooded with my mom’s tears the day I moved out.They had to hire a professional to clean it up, you know.” It was mostly true. My mom threw a fit, going on and on about how I should stay with her, and that New York was a dangerous place, and that I was going to be mugged the second my plane touched the ground there, or that hobos were going to offer me money for sexual acts. At which time I pointed out that hobos were, in fact, hobos and therefore probably could not afford to pay strange women to commit sexual acts for them.

She didn't appreciate that statement.

“Really only my mum was affected. She offered to move with me, but I declined. Y'know... cuz she'd cramp my vibe. We're pretty attached to each other, regardless. My dad wasn't around often. Not because he was a deadbeat, or anything, but because he was busy working all the time.” He shrugged and fingered the frayed piece of fabric that was my shirt. I watched his fingers move, too mesmerized to make him quit.

If he kept it up, he'd not only ruin my top, but he'd also get it pregnant.

And the question was, would he _really_ help take care of shirt/human babies?

“Sounds... dramatic. Would you please leave my clothes alone?” I finally asked, deciding that I had ignored the issue for an acceptable amount of time. He didn't stop,though, only smiled at me.

“So you… don’t want me ripping apart your clothes for you?”

I made a face at him. “No, Lou. I don't have the clothes to waste on you and your... fingers.”

“Did you just call me ‘Lou’?”

“Yeah, I guess I did. Should I not-”

“No, no it’s okay. Please do. Call me Lou.”

I glared at him because I knew he had made that joke on purpose knowing it was horrendous, and because _I_ was going to make that joke, and it's terribly rude to steal someone's thunder the way that he just did.

* * *

I was sitting on the couch with Rose as I pointed at a selection of different marbles that she could use for the center pieces in the wedding.

“Well, blue won’t work because my wedding theme is pink and orange.” I tried not to make a face. The wedding theme was a bit… flawed. But she had spent months planning it, and had even flew out to California to purchase her wedding dress.

(Which was the reason that my brother had to pick her up from the airport this morning.)

“Well, maybe you should go with the white ones-” I started, and she glared at me. “ _pink_ and _orange_ , Cecily!”

I shrugged and was about to point out a different set of marbles when something actually _fell_  into my lap.

Something super heavy.

I looked down and it was Louis, resting his head on my thighs, the rest of his body sprawled out and covering any room left on the couch. I resisted the urge to shove him off of me.

“So, what’s all this girl talk?” Louis asked, poking me- _repeatedly_ \- in the stomach. I swatted his hand away as Rose groaned. “I’m trying to find a place near here that sells pink and orange marbles, but all I can find is this horrid pink and an orange that looks like the love child of a creamsicle and the trees of whoville.” I bit back a mixture of a groan and a laugh.

I had promised to go with her to the store to pick them up once she had found them.

“Would they look good together?” Louis asked, tilting his head so that he could have a better look at Cecily. She glanced at him and then back at the laptop screen.

“I don’t know… maybe… _**Yes**_!” She popped up from the couch- her computer almost toppling over- to run into the kitchen and tell Xavier, her voice full of excitement. Louis reached up and touched my chin. I had been watching Rose, and looked down. He placed his forefinger and thumb on my chin softly, and pulled my face down until I was inches from his mouth.

I knew he had pulled me down so that he could tell me something, but his eyes were watching me intently, and I swallowed nervously. That caught his attention and his eyes flicked to mine.

It must've been the countless cups of coffee I downed this morning that was making me delusional, cuz for a split second I swear I saw actual lust clouding his pretty blue eyes.

“I-” He cleared his throat. “Her wedding theme is rubbish.” 

I laughed. “I tried talking her out of it in the beginning, but she was just so _adamant_.” My hand was resting on his chest because I had no where else to put it, and his fingers were still lightly resting on my chin.

It was all quite distracting.

“It’s worse than if it was the theme of death and glitter. If _cadavers_ were hung from the ceiling it wouldn't be as bad.” I raised my eyebrows and smiled.

“You are _horrible._ ” I murmured, slightly distracted by his lips.

 _A_ nd by slightly, I mean  _Completely_ distracted by his lips.

“Maybe, but at least i’m not Perez Hilton.”

“Yah, but you _are_  as bad as darth vader.”

His eyes were making my comebacks crumble into nothingness.

“ _Wow_ , even for you that was just… depressing, love.” He laughed. And suddenly his smile dropped and turned into... something else. His thumb stroked my chin and he caught my eyes. “I-”

Then there was a loud banging noise and “ ** _Ow!_** ” and then my mom yelling “ _Xavier_! You help him with his bags!” and Xavier laughing, and my dad screaming “Who died?” from the top of the stairs, and then something made a loud shattering noise.

I focused back on Louis, who had been silently laughing. “I hope no one is hurt.” Louis said, dropping his fingers from my chin.

I tried not to be disappointed.

“Well, my dad seems to think someone has taken a bite from the apple of death, so who knows.” I said. Louis’ laugh was infectious, and I found myself smiling stupidly at him, wishing he was still touching me.

Fucking asshole.

* * *

 Louis was telling me a story about how he stole a motorized Wal-Mart scooter and then successfully blamed it on Harry when I heard a soft voice.

“ _Cecily_?” I looked up so fast, I was pretty sure my father was going to scream “Who died?" down the stairs again. I felt Louis’ head shift to the right so that he could glare at the offender who interrupted his story.

Apparently, Harry had to pay Wal-Mart over three hundred dollars in damage or something.

I caught eyes with Anthony, standing there looking a little put out. He had red hair and brown eyes with freckles dotted all over his cheeks. His eyes were a puppy dog's best friend. Eyes that made you feel terrible for not doing what he wanted. Eyes that have driven me to do a lot of things.

Eyes are my weakness, I guess one could say.

I tried to stand up, forgetting that Louis had been on my lap, so through the impulsive thoughts of _no man is gunna hold me down_ , I shoved Louis forcefully off my lap.

He made an embarrassing screaming noise on the way to the floor. I stepped over his carcass and walked up to Anthony, giving him a soft smile.

“You're here with... someone?” Anthony asked. I nodded slowly, almost wishing I hadn’t walked up to him in the first place. I tried to find words to say to him, since he was going to be around quite often.

“Yeah, I found him wandering the streets. A lot like if someone had picked up an ugly, matted cat from the side of the road.” I said. Anthony gave me a confused look, not understanding why I'd say something like that about my boyfriend.

I'd forgotten that he had no sense of humor what-so-ever.

“Hi, I’m Louis Tomlinson, boyfriend of the lovely Cecily, born and raised on the dirty streets of the NYC.” Louis said, popping up out of virtually nowhere, sticking his arm out between anthony and I as rudely as humanly possible.

If he was a human.

I made a face at him and then smiled at Anthony.

“But you… you sound… _british_.” Anthony said, taking Louis hand hesitantly. As he should be. 

Louis made a loud gasping noise, placing his hand- And Anthony's- against his heart. "I'm  _offended_!"

Anthony pulled his hand away from Louis' and gave him a weird look.

“Cece… Ca-” Anthony started, but was cut off by Rose screaming “ ** _Anthony_**! If you're not in here in point _one_ second I am going to make sure you can _never_ help populate the planet! _Ever_!” Anthony made a genuine look of horror and gave me a quick wave, running towards the kitchen.

* * *

I paced the floor of my room, trying to decide between tennis shoes or flats for when we went out to go get those damned marbles.It wasn’t a question-not _really_ -as to whether I should wear shoes that make my feet feel like they were walking on fluffy air, or whether i should wear flat shoes that allowed me to feel every single rock on the Earth's surface, and after a while, you could actually feel your toes starting to fall off.

But, I was battling between the two items because Rose had begged me to wear something that's "not" a picture T and sweatpants.

There was a knock on my door and I was surprised because it couldn't be my parents, due to the fact that my parents “ _own_ ” the house, and because they “ _own_ ” the house, they don't have to knock on any doors for any reason. And I knew it wasn’t Louis, because he _will_ burst into a room just because he believes that he belongs anywhere that he chooses to go.

“come in!” I called, deciding that tennis shoes are _always_ the way to go, when Anthony walked in, looking at me.

 _ **Fuck**_.

“What… what do you need?” I asked, looking down. I was sure that if I counted the amount of wood panels in the floor it would be easier for me to have the conversation that was about to occur. I watched him step forward hesitantly, and then next thing I knew, I was in his arms. He buried his face into my hair, holding me to his chest. “ _You_. I want _you_.” He practically begged. I pushed him away, gently.

“I can’t” I said. I couldn’t. He wasn’t for me. I mean, after I had spent so much time away from him I realised that he was nice enough, he just wasn’t for me. He had no humor, he hadn’t treated me well at all while we _were_  together, and… it was all just... not enough.

He wasn’t enough.

He looked at me, angry. “So, you just show up after months of no contact and fucking deny me?”

Oh look, now I was angry. “Excuse **you**. I have to be here because my brother-your best friend- is getting married. I’m brushing you off because I happen to be here with someone and we-”

“ _That_ guy?Oh, _please_ , you’re obviously with him just for his looks. He’s nothing but material! The guy has no _depth_ , and you're saying that you love him more than me?” I was taken aback. I didn’t even consider that people would think he was superficial- something that I always knew Louis wasn’t.

“I never said I was in love with him. He’s my boyfriend, Ant. I’m not with him for no reason. And he’s more than his looks, _obviously_. Do you really think he would be with me if he was superficial? Cuz it certainly wouldn’t be for the money I don’t have.” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. Anthony stepped back up to me and grabbed my wrist, placing my plam on his heart.

Okay not _on_ it, but above it.

I was going to pull my hand away from his slightly clammy grasp when the door was actually _punched_ open.

It hadn’t been fully closed when Anthony came in, and now Louis was meandering through it as if his fist hadn’t made unnecessary contact with my door.

“Hey, poopy head we-” Louis noticed Anthony and his smirk dropped completely, his eyes going cold. “ _What_ are you doing in here?” Louis asked. “I was just... talking to Cece…” Anthony said, his hand still wrapped around my wrist. Louis actually walked up to us and removed my hand from Anthony’s chest, intertwining his fingers in mine and glared at him.

“I didn’t know that talking included touching.”  I had been staring mostly at Anthony, but I turned my gaze to Louis, and the look on his face was downright terrifying. I compared it with the glare that my father had made just this morning, and his pansy-ass stare was nothing compared with how unamused Louis was looking right now. His eyes had darkened, actual _anger_  prevalent on his face. While He essentially looked the same angry as he did when he wasn't smiling or talking, he emitted the most intimidating- I guess you could say- aura.

He was doing a lot of the talking through his body language.

_Wait-_

Was he actually mad at Anthony?

Speaking of,  dear ol' Ant was backing closer to the open door a little bit, glancing between myself and Louis. (who had managed to wrap his arm around my torso and pull me into his side by now.) “I’ll talk to you later…” Anthony said, and promptly left the room. As soon as he was gone I dropped Louis'-not clammy- hand and stepped away from him.

“What the _fuck_ was that about?” He asked the same time I screamed

“What was that?” Louis just raised his eyebrow at me to signify how much more important his question was than mine.

“He was just… talking to me.” Louis scoffed. “Who _is_ he to you? Because it didn't look like ‘just talking’ to me. It looked like something a bad flirter would do to an equally as bad flirter.”

“Anthony is- _was_ my boyfriend. Before I moved. We had been together for a while, but we broke up cuz' I decided the distance  wouldn't work out.” I answered, studying one of his arm tattoos so that I wouldn’t have to look at him.

“Do you still- Was he asking for your hand in marriage or something?” Louis asked, shifting his weight from his right foot to his left from having to stay still for too long. “No, he was in fact asking for me back." I said.

"It’s actually really nice to be pined after.” I added quietly. I wasn’t quite sure what had changed from then and now, but I had no interest in dating Anthony anymore.

Then I heard someone yelling from downstairs. “ **If someone who has a name that starts with the letter _C_ and ends with the letter _Y_ does not get her _rootin-tootin_ booty down here-** ” Rose was cut off for some reason-probably from my mom telling her how inappropriate it is to say the risque word “rootin-tootin”.

“I’ll come with you.” Louis called as I pushed him out of the room so that I could change.

* * *

“Was that _jealousy_ I heard in your voice earlier?” I asked Louis. We were browsing the shelves in the nearest hobby store, waiting for Rose to choose between “citrus” orange or “fruity” orange marbles.

Louis started bending the stem of nearby daisy -for no apparent reason- and shrugged. “That was my great acting, love." He smirked at me, bending the stem as far as it could go. " Y’know, I would've been a drama teacher if I hadn't have taken up a desk job.”

“You're driving me to the edge of suicide, Lou.” I groaned. He pulled out the ruined plastic flower and handed it to me. I snatched the broken stem and held it to my chest, nursing the flower and glaring at him.

He studied me and said “I guess you could say I’m driving Miss Daisy.”

I laughed out loud and dropped the plant in with some other fake flowers so that the workers wouldn't notice it’s mangled state.

“You did _not_ just-”

Rose poked her head into the aisle and held up a plastic shopping bag. “I chose _both_ oranges! I’ll be waiting in the car, Tata!” She said, and disappeared.

I looked at Louis. he was staring intently at a black flower vase sitting on a shelf, his fingertip resting on the lip of the offending object. He looked back at me and there was a... _glint_ in his eye.

I couldn't get out the words “ **Lou** , _**no**_!” before he stared me straight in the face and flicked his finger. The vase toppled over onto its side, spilling an endless amount of beads, marbles and foam all over the floor, making a terrible racket. We both looked up from the mess  rolling around the floor with our mouths open in shock.

I whispered “ _Louis_ , we-”

“ _ **Nope**_!” He maneuvered fluently through the mess of marble and flowers, grabbing my wrist and dragging me through the store as quickly as my legs could go. We jumped in the car and Louis screamed “Floor it!”. he looked back at me-since I was sitting in the back seat desperately grasping for my breath- and smiled, his eyes bright with excitement.

“I've always wanted to say that.”

* * *

I was lying in bed gazing blankly at the ceiling when Louis  _jumped_ into my bed face first, draping his arm over my stomach. I shoved it away from me, glaring at him.

“I was thinking, you dippity doo da.”

“Since I was slacking so much on your whole Anthony relationship, who is this Lena girl? When her name comes up you make the same face you make when someone salts their food before trying it first.”Louis asked, mumbling into the pillow he had landed on. My eyes roamed shamelessly over his body since he couldn't see my checking him out. He was shirtless-it was actually such a nice view that I decided not to argue against it. His back muscles were taut because of the way his arms were splayed out on the bed. He had the smallest waist.

Like,  _ever_.

Seriously. I was _striving_ for that kind of waistline. Not striving _enough_ , but striving.

Then I noticed his **_ass_**. Okay, I know It sounds pretty crazy freaking out over a man’s butt, but(t) it was something to behold. He was _endowed_.

 _Forget_ his **waist** , girls would kill to have the plethora of ass that this man was sporting. It was so _there._  I wondered how I had never noticed it in those tight jeans of his before.

I bet it looked nice in jeans.

I bet it looked nice without jeans.

I bet it looked nice with nothing on.

“You have an _incredible_ ass.” I blurted, and then placed my hands over my mouth- making a loud slapping noise-  in absolute horror.

I could actually die right now.

“What was that?” Louis asked, his voice muffled by the pillow.

Oh thank god, he didn't hear what I had said.

“She is the spawn of Satan.” I said quickly, saving myself from the wrath of the burnt spaghetti that was Louis Tomlinson. He turned his head so that he could look at me.

“ _Please._ Elaborate.” and he turned his face back into the pillow. I was pretty sure he was going to suffocate.

“Well… we’ve been cousins for a while… like, since I was born. And ever since, we've just _hated_ each other. I think I hate her more than she hates me. She’s the terrible person out of the two of us, by the way.” I clarified. Cuz there’s always the actual bad guy out of two enemies. And she was the joker to my batman.

The green goblin to my spiderman.

In other words, one day I will defeat her evil ass. “Her latest quips are stealing my boyfriends. Much like a 12 year old girl.” She had dutifully conquered any boyfriend that I managed to attract over my lifetime. Including Anthony.

Not including Louis.

That could be because she hasn't met him yet.

His hand patted around until he had managed to press a finger against my lips, whispering “shhh” in the sleepiest voice i’ve ever heard. I wasn't sure whether it was supposed to be an encouraging shush, or one that meant "shut the fuck up."

Either way, I was grateful for the sentiment.

“You have nice lips.” He mumbled. His breathing evened out, signifying him drifting off to sleep. Even though h was splayed out face-first onto my bed, looking extremely uncomfortable. I don't think he meant that I had aesthetically pleasing lips, I just think he was talking sleepy nonsense.

Obviously he was not going to sleep anywhere else, so I sighed and followed his lead,(Except I got more comfortable, crawling under the covers) and drifted off to sleep.

 


	4. Just desserts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting chapter 4. From what I've written, I think this chapter may be a little shorter than the others. Tata for now!!!! *twirls out*

I was sitting on the couch after breakfast-sipping from a large wine glass that was filled to the brim with apple juice- when Rose ran up and stood in front of me, her hands on her hips. “We are leaving in _ten_ minutes to go try the cake, and you're not even _dressed_.” I held the cup in my hand and gave her a look of astonishment, glancing down at my clothes.

“What the _fuck_ , Rose! I’m completely dressed!” I demanded. “You call a black shirt that says ‘Don’t talk to me unless you’re a level 80’ and jeans is being dressed?”  I made a face at her. “We’re going somewhere _important_ , don't you have anything to wear? That’s decent?” I sighed out a loud “ ** _Fine_**!” at her and set down my wine glass, stomping up to my room.

* * *

Rose pulled in at the bakery and parked, whipping around to glare at Louis. “We are coming in here to order the second cake, and then we are _leaving_.” Rose said in her sweet Southern Belle accent. I guess she had told us this because after we got home yesterday, Louis had told her and Xavier the story about what had happened at the store.

Rose hadn't appreciated that.

Louis twisted his face into faux seriousness and saluted her. “I'll behave. Just as long as we get to try some cake.” Rose slit her eyes at him. “Yes, we'll be trying cake.”

We all exited the car, the doors slamming almost simultaneously. Xavier and Rose walked in front of us, and I could hear Rose mumbling to herself about how the cake was only going to have icing on it, and therefore the short notice shouldn't make anyone lose hair.

Louis rested his hand on my lower back- something he’s taken to doing- as we walked into the cake shop. As Rose and Xavier walked up to the counter to talk to one of the workers, I was approached by Dom, my best friend. I breathed a sigh of excitement, because it had been two days and I hadn't gotten to see him until now.

“ ** _Cecily_**!” Dom yelled, opening his arms. I stepped away from Louis and walked over to Dom, hugging him and giggling.

Dom was gay, and awesome, and I missed him something awful. He’s the best friend that I had to leave when I moved, and he was the only reason that I second guessed my moving. “I was going to come visit today!” Dom said into my hair, smiling at me.

I grinned and stepped away from him, looking him up and down. Dom had green eyes and blonde hair, and was sporting a stylish outfit, one that I could never hope to achieve. “Are you wearing… _pants_? Let me take a look at you.” He said, amazed. I twirled and smiled at him. “Rose forced me to wear pants. Apparently my style is an-”

“Embarrassment? Yeah, it is.” Dom said, goosing me. I jumped and shrieked, playfully slapping his arm. “ ** _Dom_**!”

“Now, if I was a straight man, I might actually consider dating you.” I acted offended. “Excuse _you_ , sir, but I have a man.”

The look on Dom’s face when I told him that was a mixture of pure shock and pure joy. I've only ever seen him this excited when we snuck out to a male strip club the week after we both turned 18.

“Like...a _male_?”

“Yes."

“With a _penis_?”

Maybe.

“I think so.”

“Did you bribe him or something?”

Weird. I didn't have to bribe Louis to come with me, he just… did. I would've been desperate enough to pay him, yet I didn't have to.

“No! We’re dating, okay?”

He looked around the room theatrically and pulled me against him so that he could ask me something quietly. Quiet really wasn't his forte, so that meant that he was going to ask me something embarrassing. And sarcastic.

“So you guys do the...dance with no pants?” He pulled away.

“No, we haven't had sex yet. I bet the soggy asshole would love it.” I murmured the last bit.

He made a disgusted face. “ _ **Ick**_! Why would you tell me that?” I smiled at him, my heart swelling with love, and reached up to fix his silky blonde hair which had gone askew. His hair was the only thing on his body that he has not perfected, and I loved that part the most, maybe. He gave me a loving smile back, and then looked up and gasped.

Theatrically.

“ _ **Oh. M. God**_ , hottie alert! _Oh my god_ he’s walking over here, _oh my god_! How do I look?” He asked, making a very pornographic pouty face and batting his eyelashes at me.

I fucking _love_ him, man.

“You look absolutely delectable.” I said, smoothing out the front of his blazer. I was used to being his wingman.It was kind of surprising how many people hit on him on a regular basis. He’s dated more guys than I have. “How into you does he look?” I asked.

“Um, he actually looks _mad_. I don’t know what I did to him. Oh _god_ , I hope it’s not one of my ex flings or something.” He said, looking worried.

A pair or strong, familiar arms wrap around my waist and pull me against a body.

A tight body.

This is actually the first time that i've felt his body against mine like this, and it was enough to make a gal blush. I set my hands on his arms and smiled up at him.

Big mistake.

He was giving Dom the same look that he had given Anthony yesterday.

I looked back and Dom was gaping at me in awe, his mouth open in shock.

“Am I being punk’d?”

* * *

After I had explained to a very jealous Louis that I was not being groped by some scary man, I in fact, was being groped by my very gay best friend, he seemed to have calmed down.

I didn't tell him that Dom was still a pretty scary man.

We were standing in a small, blue room with no windows, with a metal table in the middle of it, and multiple different flavors of cake resting on top. We had been led into this room from the front of the store. Apparently it was a place where they consulted people about specialty cakes, and all that boring jazz. I was just gazing lustfully at the cinnamon cake sitting in the middle of all of them. They were all individually sized cakes- I guess they wouldn’t want to give us whole cakes if we were just trying them.

They were already pre-cut, though, all the flavors on individual plates for us, so I had no idea why the actual cakes were sitting there. Maybe for curb appeal. Becuase they certaintly looked nice.

And expensive.

“Now, let’s try the carrot cake.” A lady in a fancy pink uniform said, pointing out which piece of cake was the carrot one.Rose daintily placed a piece of the cake from her plate into her mouth, raising her eyebrows. She leaned over to Xavier. “This cake is good, honey, isn’t it good?” I smiled at her, because while we-and by we I mean everyone but her- had tagged along, she was the one making the choice in the end. And the carrot cake was deliscious.

So was the red velvet.

And the vanilla.

I just wanted to get to the fucking cinnamon cake, man.

Louis poked my arm with the prongs of his fork to get my attention. “Have you had the cinnamon one, love? It tastes like heaven.” I gaped at him. “You weren't supposed to _eat_ that one yet, you broken door handle.” I hissed at him. I could practically feel Rose’s “Bullshit” detector going off, and I didn’t want her wrath.

One time, my brother accidently ordered yellow roses instead of carnations for the wedding. My mother told me that Xavier had lied in the fetal position in the corner of the living room for a few hours. And Rose had gotten those yellow carnations.

Just saying.

Louis rolled his eyes. “Stop being such a square, have some.” He said, gently nudging my plate. “No, Louis.” I gave rose a cautious glance and then leaned closer to him, whispering “ _She’ll_ **_know_**.” He rolled his eyes and took some with his fork from his own plate, and offered it to me. I shook my head, right as a lady said

“Oh, so you would like to have the apple juice mocha rum cake with orange sauce? Good decision! I’ll be right back with your ticket." and I heard the door to the room softly close.

I turned back to Louis and glared at him. He just raised his eyebrows and waved the fork in front of my face,so I decided to try some since _someone_ had already decided on the cake flavor. I leaned in to bite from the fork when all of a sudden, there was a piece of cake smashed against my cheek.

I whipped back, gasping.

“ _Fucking asshole_!” I screamed. I was angry because it was the cake I had wanted to eat, and he fucking _wasted_ it, and I knew it wouldn't taste the same after I had wiped it from my cheek. So, I grabbed my left over red velvet and shoved it against his forehead, smashing it in with my thumb, making a satisfied smirk. That should teach-

And suddenly, an entire plate of assorted cakes was smooshed against my face, I could feel some of it getting into my hair. I heard a gasp coming from Rose, but suddenly I didn't care anymore.

The scratchy pillow case that was Louis Tomlinson was  _done_ for.

I took my plate and slammed it against Louis’ (white) shirt, smearing it in with the plate and letting it go, watching the plate slowly slide down his chest. He gave me an astounded glare and reached over, grabbing a chunk of carrot cake from the actual models sitting on the table, smearing is against the stomach of my shirt.

That was my _good_ blouse!

I grabbed the plate Xavier was holding and threw the pieces that were left at Louis, screaming “That was my _good_ shirt, you piece of cock manure!” At this point we had managed to cover each other in cake and icing, getting a lot of it into our hair.

“What the _fuck_! The lady leaves for _three_  minutes!” Xavier screamed, grabbing some cake and throwing it at me to make us stop, but missing.

Horrendously.

It hit Anthony in the side of the face and he glared at Xavier, taking a piece of cake from his own plate and throwing it back at him, making a satisfied squealing sound as soon as the cake made contact with Xavier’s glasses.

That’s when the cake hit the fan.

It was being thrown everywhere, smashed everywhere, everyone was laughing, and screaming. Except for Rose, who was not laughing. But she was screaming. Then Louis picked up some cake from the table and threw it at Rose, and at first she started screaming at him, telling him he was a “Gosh darn fool!” and that her wedding was “Ruined!” but then Xavier smothered some cake into her cheek and it wasn’t before too long that she was in it too. The table that held all the cakes on it was a mess, any evidence that gorgeous confection was ever actually there was completely gone. They had been beaten to a pulp from having been grabbed by the handful and put everywhere.

My pants were caked with white icing.

Louis' shirt was caked with icing.

 _Everyone_ was caked in icing.

Cake was covering the walls, some on the ceiling, some on the floor. It smelled like a fresh bakery in there.

It looked like children had a playdate in there.

With cake.

I was running from Louis-who was determined to get the back of my neck covered in the sticky mess- when I slipped on a spot of icing, and fell stomach first onto the floor, laughing. Since Louis had been behind me, my fall had caused him to lose balance, and he fell on me. He laughed and lifted up some, giving me enough room to turn over.  He was hovering over me, his blue eyes bright. He looked a little concerned, though.

“You okay?” He asked, his face ridiculously close to mine. I smiled. “Better than Okay. I’m okake.” Louis glared at me, and leaned down, somehow getting closer to me. “ _This_ is why you're single. And covered in icing.” He pointed out. I rolled my eyes and smiled at him. We were in our little bubble, the world outside of the two of us seemed to have faded. All I could see or hear was _him_. And I couldn't bring myself to care.

I wished he wasn't settled on his palms. That left a lot of room between our bodies so that I couldn't feel him.

 ** _Oh, wow_**. I thought to myself, surprised.

Then he bent his head and licked some cake off my nose, standing up and taking my hand, pulling me up with him.

Except he pulled me a little _too_ hard and I managed to crash into his chest, a bit painfully. “Ugh, _Louis_!” I groaned, slapping his chest with my palm. He ran his fingers through my hair and made a laughing noise. “You’ll never get this out.”

He was right. I’d have to get it re-done. It was okay. I was going to get braids in before the wedding, anyway. Someone tapped my shoulder and I turned around to look at who it was.

Oh _fuck_ it was Rose.

“Y-yeah?” I asked, turning away from Louis and facing her. “I don't want to interrupt this little love fest of yours, but if you were aware, there is cake _all_ over this room, and I'm not quite sure when the lady will be back. We need to try to clean some of this up.” I looked around the room. We could definately get the cake up, and throw away the tins that the cakes were on, but the icing was a whole nother story.

When we were done getting cake off the walls, (Louis did not help at all, by the way. He said he was “keeping lookout”) Xavier looked at us and smiled. “We have to go.” Louis raised his hand and Xavier glared at him, making an attempt to clean off his glasses. “I second that notion.” Louis said anyway, without the permission to speak that he had asked for. And we all left as sneakily as possible, Louis having found a back door to the building so that we wouldn't have to go through the front.

* * *

I walked out of the bathroom, having managed to get all the cake out of my hair. I had to throw my clothes out, though. It was one of the most painful things I've ever had to done.

It was a little better, though, because Louis had to throw out his clothes too. Speaking of Louis, he was standing in the middle of the room,-his back to me- mumbling silently to himself as he put a shirt on. “You're only crazy if you answer yourself.” I said. He turned around, the shirt that he was wearing hitching on his stomach.

It was the first time I've ever seen his stomach bare, and I was distracted by how flat it was. And toned, his topman underwear peeking out from his jeans. I dragged my eyes up his body back up to him and he raised his eyebrows at me.

“Who said I wasn't crazy?”

Then I heard my mom scream “Lunch time!” up the stairs. Louis started walking towards the door and then turned around. “And _try_ not to stare at my _incredible_ ass on the way out.I'm _sensitive_.”

Oh god.

* * *

 

Once Louis had grabbed his second plate and made himself comfortable on the couch, there was no room for anyone else to sit. I glared at him. “People _live_ here, you know.” He looked genuinely confused that it was a problem that he was sprawled out, leaning up against the arm of the couch, taking up all the room. He set his plate down and opened his legs, gesturing for me to sit between them. I shook my head. “Do you not think this would be good for our _image_?” He asked, raising his eyebrows. I looked around and noticed Rose glaring at us. probably because of today’s earlier goings on, but I sighed and sat down, poking his thighs. I leaned against his chest and he looked down at me. “When is Lena supposed to be coming in?” I asked myself, hoping her plane had hit a lot of turbulence and she fell through the window.

“She should've been here five minutes ago.” My mother called from the kitchen, sounding a little irritated.

 ** _Yes_**!There's still a chance that she fell through the plane's window to a horrible death.

“Why is she on a plane, anyway?” I asked my mom, because before I left, she lived here in the craic. “She moved to Texas to pursue a modeling career.”

Yeah, of course she did.

Then there was a knock on the door and a loud scream of “Hellloo!” emitted from the other side of it in the most annoying country accent on earth.

Okay, the accent was only annoying because it was coming out of her mouth.

My brother hobbled up off the floor and answered the door- since he was closest- giving a small smile to the person standing in front of him. She placed her hand on his chest and pushed him out of the way, walking in and smiling at the room. “I’m heeere!” She said, spreading her arms out in a modeling pose. Mom walked up to her and gave her a hug. “Oh Lena, I’m so glad you could make it for the wedding. I know how busy you are with the modeling and all.” Lena took off her sunglasses and pouted at my mom. “Oh, it’s no biggy Mrs.Boyle. You know I love my family.” She said, giving my mom the fakest smile on Earth.

Then she looked at me. “Well,  _hi_ there, little cousin! I can see that you're still into the trashy look.” She said, her voice full of sugar.

I wanted to punch her in the larynx.

I glared at her from Louis’ lap and she looked at him, actually shocked. Louis had been in the middle of eating and as soon as Lena had said something to me, Louis had put his plate down and wrapped his arms around my torso, his hands on my stomach. “Hey, Lena.” I said, and got up, grabbing Louis’ hand and forcefully pulling him from the couch. He looked at his mostly finished plate of food desperately, and I made an “I'm going to punch you.” noise at him. He glared at me and grabbed his plate, giving a wave to the room as I walked up the steps.

Once we were in the room I kicked the door closed and sat on the bed. “Did you _hear_ her? The _bitch_!” I practically yelled, standing up and pacing the room, grabbing my hair. “ _Whoa,_ love.” He grabbed my wrists and pulled them to my sides, standing close to me.

“Do you have _any_ chill?” I glared at him.

“No. I _forgot_ how much I hated her.” I said, making fists and pressing them against his chest. “I hate her more than I hate you.” I murmured.

“You don’t hate me.” Louis said.

“I know.” Louis smoothed out my fists so that my palms were flat against his chest.

“In fact, I think you like me.”

 _Ugh_.

Apparently I had been silent for too long, so Louis put his hands on my shoulders and leaned me away from him so he could look me in the eyeball. “I don't mean _like_ ,like.” he said, more like he was trying to convince himself.

I nodded “Yeah… of course, you're the crack in my cell phone screen.”

There was a knock on the door and I walked over it, laughing from Louis’ response of “You're the crack that breaks mum’s backs.”

Once I opened the door and saw that it was Lena, however, my smile dropped. “What do you want?” I asked. She poked her hip out and blinked at me. “You’re not going to let me in?” She asked rudely. She made a “step aside” motion, so I rolled my eyes and stepped aside. She walked in and I closed the door behind her.

She was wearing a red miniskirt, and an expensive black blouse, with sparkly black pumps on, and her hair was long, and expensive.

She was gorgeous.

I wanted to rupture her tibia.

I motioned at Louis to run. To run as fast as he could. But then she turned around and noticed him sitting on my bed, tapping away at his phone. He laughed at something and looked up right as Lena jutted her chest out and flipped her hair at him. His eyes flickered over her. Not in the way _i’ve_ been looking him up and down, but it was a “Who is this person flirting with me?” kind of flicker. He pursed his lips- quite sassily- and stood up, holding his hand out for a handshake.

“Hi, I'm Louis.” Lena looked him up and down-this time it _was_ like I looked Louis up and down- and held out her hand in the way that one would if they wanted it to be kissed. Louis raised an eyebrow at her and then took her hand in his- ignoring the kissing thing- and Lena pulled her hand from his, smiling at him.

“I’m your- Oh silly me! I mean I’m Lena.” She said, her voice drenched in syrup. Louis turned his head to look at me, and I made a motion like I was sticking my finger down my throat. She smiled at him. “So… are you here with-”

“Cecily? Well, I mean I _am_ just hanging out in her room, so I think it’s safe to assume that I’m here with her.” Lena gave him a slightly offended smile. “Right. And why are you staying in here instead of with the other guys?” She had grabbed his biceps and leaned up into his ear, whispering “Or _me_?” Louis gave her this… look. Like he was considering sleeping with her.

I wanted to kick him and Lena in the dick.

“Louis…?” She said his name, acting like she couldn't remember it.

I hate her.

“Could you excuse Cece and I? We need to have a quick chat.” She dragged her palms down his arms seductively until they weren't touching him anymore, and gave him another smile. He looked at me and I waved my hand at my neck, signaling that he should _not_ excuse us.

But like the gentleman Louis always is, he said “Um… yeah, I guess I can, yeah.” and when he walked past me he put his thumb under my chin and tilted it up. “Maybe you should talk to her.” He whispered, and fixed a piece of my hair before he left, softly closing the door behind me.

“Well, well, well. You showed your face.” She said, all of the flirtation and honey leaving her voice, her smile morphing into a scowl. “Yeah, my brother is getting married, and I've already paid for my bridesmaids dress, so of course I came down.” I said. She strutted over and stood in front of me, her heels making her even taller than she already was, forcing her to tower over me.

“And you brought something of the male species.”

“Well... yeah. He’s my boyfriend. That’s been said a lot to you today, hasn't it? Trouble hearing? You must be getting old.” She gave me a disgusted face and then threw up a smile.

“He’s awfully good-looking for someone-" she looked me up and down. Quite dramatically."With a face as unpleasant as yours could date."

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, knowing exactly what it meant.

“It means that I think you are paying him to be here with you.”

“Last time I checked, he was my boyfriend.” Ugh, there’s not much I could say, except insist that Louis was actually my boyfriend.

Which, alas, wasn't true.

I mean like, to prove to Lena.

Not that I was emotionally upset that he wasn’t my boyfriend,

Well, maybe I was. A little bit.

“Well, if he is your boyfriend, you're not treating him very well. He’s sooo tense.” She said, a disdainful tone in her voice.

Louis is tense? What does that even mean?

"Sometimes I wish the words that came out of your mouth made sense.” I said, stepping away from her. She smelled strongly of evil mixed with probable serial killer.

I try not to associate with serial killers.

“God, you are so _dense_.You aren't having _sex_ with him. Which makes it all the more easier for me to have him. Can’t you just see it now? Me walking into that wedding with that beautiful man hanging off my arm?” She looked into the sky, sounding actually excited.

I wanted to stab her in the middle finger with a fork.

“God! You guys are so fake! How is your mother even falling for this? Like, she needs to grow up and open her eyes.” Then she smiled at me. “I can't wait to tell her. But… I think I might tell her on the… wedding day. I’ll get more attention that way.”

Was there any logic in that statement?

“We are, in fact, quite the item. And I don't understand why you think you can coerce him into your evil plans to take over the world, he’s very loyal.” She scowled at me and leaned in.

“Number _one_ , he’s too hot to be with the scum of this Earth. Which is you. Number _two_ , i’m too hot _not_ to be with him. Number _three_ , he is _thirsting_. The poor guy needs some love making. And Number _four_ , any boyfriend that you _thought_ you had, _think_ you have, or _will_ think you have is mine. They are all mine. You will always be single as long as I grace this world that you-for some reason- walk on.” And she opened the door. Right before she walked out she said “Why don’t you purchase a couple cats?” And before I could answer her she said “Oh, cuz I’d take them from you!” and maniacally laughed as she walked out of my room.

Maybe it wasn't a maniacal laugh.

It was more of a cackle.

I wanted to shove a needle through her shoe.

* * *

Louis and I were talking downstairs after my parents had gone to bed. He was leaning against the wall and I sighed, looking at him. “She… she thinks we’re fake?” Louis asked, sounding and looking offended. I had told him that Lena thought we were faking it. Not much else but that, though. “The only time she saw us together was on the _couch_ , and unless we were fucking, I don't think we could've looked more like a couple.” Louis continued.

“I know, but it’s _Lena_. She’s out to get me.” I said. He pulled me into him, my forehead resting against his chest. “Well, I guess we’ll have to be more of a couple, then.” I laughed at him. “Do you think I care what Lena thinks? If she thinks we’re fake, then good for her. I think her boobs grew a couple sizes since that last time I saw her, but that doesn’t mean she’ll change them.” Louis shrugged.

“We are _trying_ to watch a movie!” Xavier yelled from in front of the TV. We had stayed down here to watch a movie with everyone, something that my parents didn’t want to see, and Lena was too good for.Xavier hadn’t even put the movie in yet. I sighed and Louis sat me down on the floor next to him, tickling my sides as he pulled me into his lap.

“Louis!” I hissed, feeling him underneath me. He tugged on my hair until I leaned my head back so that his mouth could reach my ear. “I care that Lena thinks we’re a couple.” I rolled my eyes. “If you're not careful, i’ll think you actually _want_ to be a couple.” I said, and Louis pushed me off his lap, sitting me next to him.

“I’m going to go get some popcorn.” And he got up and went into the kitchen, coming back a few minutes later with a bowl of _very_ burnt popcorn. I made a face at it.

“You don’t think anyone is actually going to consume that, do you?” I asked, waving at Xavier to move from in front of the television screen. “No, but I do fully intend to terrorize with it.” He threw a kernel at Anthony’s eye, and Anthony whipped his head around so see who had done it, because almost everyone had a personal popcorn container. Louis shrugged at him, feigning innocence. “I wish I knew, bro.” He said, tossing a kernel at Rose. It got stuck in her hair, and nobody but Louis and I noticed it. He fell over laughing, accidentally launching the bowl of popcorn into the air.It got all over himself and the floor, but he was still laughing uncontrollably.

* * *

Louis sat on the bed while I leaned over him, picking popcorn out of his hair. When I was done I opened my palm and showed him the ridiculous amount of corn de la pop, throwing it in the trash and crawling over him to my side of the bed. He turned around so that he was facing me, and gave me a warm smile. “What if I told you that I don’t hate you either?” He asked, picking up his shirt and adjusting himself through his underwear. I made a face at him.

“I don’t know. You'd still be the hat that Pharrell wore that one time.”

“And you'd still be the reason why the lady who fell can't get up.”

Louis reached over and stroked my wrist, looking at me. “No, really. I don't hate you, love. I might actually like you. Just a little.” He said.

What.

I must've been silent for too long, cuz he said “I don’t mean _like_ , like.” And yet he was still stroking my wrist.

He looked beautiful, his dark hair falling into his eyes, his mouth giving me a small smile, those blue eyes of his looking at me in a way I don't ever remember seeing them look before.

“Are you…going to be with Lena?” I asked quietly. Lena is a hangnail.

“She is my type. And she’s gorgeous.” I made an offended face and pulled my wrist away from his stupid fucking finger. “But, Lena doesn't seem to be as nice as she wants people to think. I’m pretty sure that if I did anything to or with her, she’d record it and play it at the wedding to anyone who'd bother to look at it.”

He was right.

I sighed and got under the covers, turning away from him and closing my eyes, my breathing getting regular, me drifting off to sleep.I was dreaming, deep in sleep when I heard “And I don't think i'd be with her cuz I might _like_ like you. Just a little.” being whispered. So softly, I was sure I wasn't supposed to hear it.

_**Fucking asshole.** _

 


	5. Dress to impress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5, ayyyyyyyyyyyy

I heard a whispered “Wake _up_!” in my ear and my eyes opened groggily.What came into focus were sea-foam green eyes, and then a face to match it.

Well, not a sea-foam green face.

No one told me that his eyes changed colors. I looked down and noticed he was hovering over me and I groaned. Maybe from the wish that it was a romantic hovering, or from the fact that he just woke me up from  _peaceful_ slumber, something that he was no stranger to doing.

“ _ **What**_ -”

He quickly moved his hand and put three fingers against my lips, shushing my sentence. I tried not to notice that he was keeping himself up with one arm, the bicep bulging slightly. “You are _not_ easy to wake up. I tried poking you, but you cussed at me through your sleep. I even tried turning the light on and had a bit of shouting- but all I got was a lot of ignoring and I think a middle finger.”

I was a deep sleeper, it was true.

“I didn't think whispering would wake you up.”

I glared at him. “You have no reason to be on top of me, though.” Not that I minded much, or anything. It felt kind of nice. He leaned down and smiled, a few inches from my mouth, his hair flopping down and tickling my forehead.. “Oh, _please_. You love it.”

I rolled my eyes, but didn't deny the statement. Which he noticed, and smirked, not moving any farther away. “Why are you waking me up anyway?” I asked, managing to pull my arms from underneath the covers and pressing my palms against his stomach.

It was _sort_ of an accident.

He didn't look like he minded much anyway, cuz he just kind of went silent (for once) and studied me. I tried not to feel naked under his gaze, and eventually he cleared his throat and looked back into my eyes. “Rose says we have a dress fitting appointment soon.” I looked at my hands, feeling the muscles underneath his shirt,realising that maybe it was inappropriate for them to be there. I looked back up at him. “But why are you waking me up?”

“Because it’s 10:05 and apparently, if you don’t eat now, you won't get to until, like two o'clock or something.” He said, his eyes flicking to my palms. I dropped my hand and took a deep breath. “I didn't know I had slept in so late.” He smiled at me. “I guess maybe you were really tired.” He rolled off me and stood up, standing over my _very_ sleepy form.

“Hey, it helps-” He gestured to the both of us by flapping his hand between my form and his “Our image.” I glanced at him. "What does _that_ mean?" He smiled. "You know, I kept you up with my hot sex and talented hands." I scoffed and stood up,walking into the bathroom.

I walked out of the bathroom once I was finished sprucing up, and Louis was on his phone, leaning against my bedroom door. He held up the phone and it was a picture of Harry and Liam- I knew the members of One Direction a lot better from his stories about them, and the fact that he was constantly showing me pictures that they sent his way- waving at the camera screen. “They say ‘hi’” Except the was more than the word “Hi” captioned on the picture. I reached up and snatched his phone from his hand, reading the caption.

“Tell your unrequited love we said ‘hi’?” I asked, handing him back the phone. He gave a nervous laugh, turning around and opening the bedroom door hastily. “Yeah-um, _right_ , they- _jokers._  They get it from me.” and slipped out of the room. I looked at the empty doorway slightly confused, remembering what he had whispered last night.

I think I like the moldy bread that is Louis Tomlinson back.

This can _not_ be healthy.

I sat eating at the table, more or less fantasizing about a possible relationship with Louis, wondering what that would be like. I've never really had a mutual crush before. All (three) of my previous boyfriends had asked me out before I had a chance to hardcore like them, and it kind of took off from there. But I didn't know what it was like to like someone like this. And I _certainly_ didn’t know if I could handle someone so hot wanting to be with me.

I groaned. I have to stop fantasizing about boys liking me back.

Speaking of stupid men and stupid fantasizing, Louis brought me back to reality by kicking me in the shin. My knee lifted up to get away from the pain, and hit the dining table- _hard_.

“ _ **Ow**_.” I groaned, rubbing my shin and the top of my knee. “What was that for?” He looked at me. “You must’ve been thinking about the 'perfect that is a samsung galaxy', because I was trying to talk to you.” Louis said, reaching under the table and rubbing my shin for me.

I looked away from Louis and saw Lena watching us, her eyes slitted. I stuck my tongue out at her right as Rose said “We are leaving for the dress fitting in _one_ hour, and I _demand_ that a man folk accompany us.”

Louis screamed a loud “ _Not me_!” as soon as she had said it. She threw daggers in his direction. “Sounds like Louis volunteers! Thank you so much, you’re sweeter than apple pie covered in sugar.” Louis look flabbergasted.

“ **But** -”

The look she gave him shut him up fast. “ ** _So_** sweet.”

* * *

I was upstairs staring into a full-length mirror that I had stolen from Lena’s room- I may or may not have purposefully taken it last night so that she'd miss it- when Louis walked in and studied me. “Is there any way you could get me out of this dress thing?” Louis asked, smoothing out his shirt. I watched him in the mirror and he was looking at me, his eyes doing that thing I wasn’t used to. We had about ten minutes before Rose would probably fly through my bedroom breathing fire.

“There is no _way_ you're getting out of this.” He rolled his eyes, and approached me.

“Turn around. _Please_.” Did he just say the **_P_** word to me? I turned around, mostly due to shock, and was met by his hands gently wrapping around my wrists. I looked from his hands to his face, and the look there had me suppressing the urge to say "Why so serious?" Like the joker.

I was definitely worried that he'd tell me he couldn't act like a couple anymore, and leave or something.

He sighed. “I can't… I can't go through the rest of the week like this.”

**_Oh, fuck._ **

How would I explain to my parents that my boyfriend went home halfway through the week? I wondered if it'd be easier to tell them that the whole thing was a lie than to tell them that he had broken up with me and left. It’d be easier to convince them that he broke up with me, though, because I would _genuinely_ be hurt. It hadn't even crossed my mind that I might end up _liking_ him halfway through the week.

I guess half a year of knowing a guy can do that to you.

Louis moved his hands from my wrists and pried the fists I had been making against his chest open, lacing my fingers through his, our palms touching. “I think that… I might’ve formed a bit of a crush on you, love.” He murmured, moving our palms up so that he could rub my chin with his thumb, smiling at me warmly.

What.

“Um… I-right, okay...like-” He interrupted me.

“I get it if you don't like me back, _really_ I do. I havent been the _nicest_ person.” He was right.

“Well… if you were a nice, non-verbal, unsarcastic person, you'd be Anthony.” Louis made a face.

But then he laughed. A genuine heart swelling laugh, a laugh i've only heard him make a few times. "A little abrupt, innit?" Louis asked, pressing his forehead against mine, still smiling. “I don’t… this hasn’t… I’ve never…” I stuttered and he leaned away from me, smirking.

“I'll take that as a ‘P _lease_ flirt shamelessly with me until I can’t deny you any longer.’” He said, dropping my hand.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

I didn't know the meaning of a lot of things lately, it seemed.

“It means that you are a relationship virgin, and therefore I have to show you that I actually want you. And I'm _so_ looking forward to it.” He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in, pressing my body against his. “It’s been entirely too long since i’ve had to seduce and flirt my way into a girl’s heart.” He whispered in my ear. “And I want you more than Frodo needed to burn the ring.”

God, that was so  _much_.

I _wanted_ him to shamelessly flirt with me until I eventually stopped denying that someone actually wanted a relationship.

With me.

And I didn’t tell him that I liked him back because of that. Even though we both knew that I did. I guess that’s why he looked so excited.

That’s when I heard screaming wafting through the door from down stairs.

I shivered from the heat of her fire.

Or maybe something else.

* * *

We walked through the double glass doors leading into the bridal shop, the freezing air slapping me in the face as the door swung open. Which was good, because it was at least 400 degrees outside.

We were standing in front of a podium, so I took that chance to look around. The building was _huge_ , with a lot of stations that seemed carved out just for dress fittings, with couches, a small stage and a full-length mirror for the bride to look in. It seems like all of these stations were full, future brides hopping and clapping, or giggling, or crying, with workers by their sides, talking about the dresses they had on. There was one bride who was glaring at herself and throwing up a middle finger at her accompanying entourage whenever someone said something.

I was sure she was my long lost twin.

A lady walked up to the podium and led us down a hallway into a room, sitting us all down on couches and smiling. “A worker will be with you shortly.” And clacked out. Rose stood up and clapped her hands, giggling. Much like those brides had been doing when they were looking at dresses outside of this very room. Speaking of, it held two long couches the group was trying to sit on, and much like the stations outside, there was a shallow, round stage. Except there were little changing rooms right off the stage for the bridesmaids to go into and put on their dresses. I grasped the arm of the couch I was next to and looked at Rose.

“These dresses. Are. The _essence_ of perfection. I had them specially altered just for the wedding. They're one of a kind original!” She looked so excited.

"You do know that 'one of a kind' and 'original' have the same meaning, right?" Louis called at her. She ignored him.

"They match my dress _perfectly_." Her wedding dress was beautiful.

 _Beautiful_ I say.

It was this orange color that would look great on her milky white skin, with a simple clear jewel in the middle of it, deeming it a work of art. I _completely_ understood why she traveled to another state to purchase it. So, I was less than weary for the bridesmaids dresses.

Maybe they wouldn't be horrendous.

I looked at the couch next to mine at Louis. He was on his phone, scrolling across the screen, his other hand was resting on the couch. His fingers were tapping against the leather, not from impatience, but from restlessness. He’s always restless. He looked up and smirked at me, reaching over the couch  to hand me his phone. I took it from him with and looked at the screen.

It was a picture of me sitting on the couch and glaring dejectedly at Rose, my head pressed back into the couch from annoyance, forming an _embarrassing_ triple chin and it was captioned “she so qt.” and it said it was sent to “Hazza Styles”. I turned and glared at Louis. He raised his eyebrows and brought two of his hands up, forming a circle with one hand and poking his pointer finger through it repeatedly.

I tried to glare at him harder.

“Don't pop a vessel.” Dom whispered, leaning his head on my shoulder. He was whispering because Rose was talking to a lady who had finally showed up to help us with the appointment, and Rose had already shot me a warning look for communicating with Louis too loudly.

Speaking of the mess that was Rose Rogers, she had stopped talking. I realised that the appointment lady had been talking for a little while now, but I hadn't paid any attention to her.

“...The dresses are already in the dressing rooms, so who's going first?” There were five dressing rooms it looked like, and seven bridesmaids. Three girls that I didn't know entered a couple rooms, and I made a groaning noise and got up, walking towards an empty stall.

My feet mis-judged the space between the floor and the stage, though, and when I was trying to step up to it, my foot caught on the edge and I took a horrible tumble, falling face first onto the platform.

I felt a hand on my wrist helping to pull me up ,and then Dom’s laughter. I groaned and he tugged me to a dressing room, opening the door and shoving me in. I grabbed his wrist and pulled him in too, shutting the wooden door behind us.

“ _Stay_.” He gave me an offended look and sat down on a small chair in the corner of the stall. There wasn’t a mirror in here,  just a peg on the opposite side of the door holding up one of those white bags that usually hinted at expensive clothes. “How do I know this is my dress?” Dom looked at me like I was stupid and flopped his hand around dramatically. “Honey, the weird lady told everyone where their dress was.”

Oh. Guess that was the part I wasn’t paying attention to.

I put my hand on the cold zipper of the dress bag thingie and unzipped it.It seemed like a mess of Pink burst from the bag, as if it had been forcibly stuffed inside. I gave Dom a scared look and stripped down, taking the dress out of it’s respectable bag. It was a bright, _bright_ , **_bright_** pink. A pink that put flamingoes to shame, a pink that was hot enough to burn the sun. I didn't even get a good look at the dress because I was actually _blinded_ by this disgusting mess of a color, and there was so much tulle and fabric that I had trouble even finding the hole to put my head through.

The dress had so much material, it was really heavy. I managed to find the hole to put the dress on, and I felt the fabric slide over my body, dropping to my stomach and getting hitched there, my head getting stuck towards the top as I tried to figure out difference the hole for my head and the holes for my arms, and I actually managed to pick the wrong one and my head got stuck at the nose.

All I could see was a _sea_ of pink.

“ ** _Dom_**!” I called, flailing around. “Please help me, _please_.” I heard a distressed groan- worthy of the unsalted potato chip I had a crush on- and then I felt hands tugging the dress back over my head. “How did you manage to _even_ … it’s a dress not a _death_ trap!” Dom complained, managing to get me unstuck. Then he moved some of the material around and found the hole for the head, helping get me through it. Once I was through I took a deep breath of air, and Dom helped me get my arms through and straighten the dress out. He stood back and covered his mouth with his ring-clad finger, laughing uncontrollably.

I looked down and really all I saw were different shades of pink, ranging from a pepto bismol to a bright pink, and vice versa, seemingly in a random pattern throughout the dress. And there seemed to be mountains and _mountains_ of tulle, and fabric, and lace and- was that silk? “ _Oh my gawd._  Hon you look _horrible_!” and he walked over and tried his best to smooth my hair down, violently doing his best to avoid touching the dress.

“Thanks. _So_ much.” I said, right before there was a banging on the door and a loud “Are you done? No one else is yet.”

Yeah, cuz they were probably all sobbing.

I haven't even seen this monstrosity properly and I knew it would look better tear-stained.

“Yeah!” Dom called out between giggles, opening the door and shoving me out. I stumbled a little bit, feeling way too much air on my legs, and looked up, locking eyes with Louis. He was not covering his mouth while he laughed, and was definitely sitting on the couch in a fit of laughter, clutching his stomach. It was such a hard laugh, his voice had gone really high, and his face had gone red, and then he snorted a little bit as he gasped for breath.

It had to have been an overreaction, because the look the that Rose had on her face said “This is the most beautiful thing i've ever witnessed.” She was so proud. I sighed and turned around, looking in the mirror.

 ** _Oh_**.

The dress was an uncoordinated mix of different shades of pink, and it all looked horrible together. It was actually making me a little nauseous. The neckline dropped disturbingly low, and the dress hit right under my thigh.

I think I've showed less skin naked.

Even though the dress was very short, it managed to have a ridiculous amount of fabric.There was so much hanging off of me, layers upon layers upon layers. And to top it off, tied around the waist was a huge, fluffy orange bow, big enough for a satellite from space to pick up. I was sure the other bridesmaids were weeping in their respectable dressing rooms. I turned back around and Rose dropped her hand from her face, her elation dissipating.

“you hate it.” She accused, and my mouth worked, trying to figure out what to say to her.

“Of _course_ not! I love it _so_ much, Rose, why wouldn't I love it?” I had gone with the lying route, because Rose looked three seconds from a break down, and I don't think anyone wanted to see _that_. Plus, the delighted gleam that shined in her eye afterwards was completely worth it.

“You look so _sexy_ , babe.” Louis cat called. I shot him a glare as the other girls started exiting the rooms, all looking horrendous. Even Lena. I snickered at her, looking so tall and prissy, and like the spawn of satan in her dress. A picture of her wearing this death jacket would be right next to the word "Evil" in a dictionary.

Rose was so overwhelmed with emotion, she started tearing up, and had to flick her fingertip- _gracefully_ \- underneath her bottom eyelid, sniffling- _gracefully_.

“We look like absolute _fuck_. Except for me.” Lena said, cleaning her fingernails, and then looking up.

Rose looked taken aback. “Cecily says she looks good. You just haven't had your daily dose of darling.”

“Oh, _please_ , you just have no taste in _anything_. Cecily is a lying piece of shit.” And then Lena promptly walked off the stage, grabbed her purse, and left, flipping her hair on the way out. “P.S, you look worse in that dress than everyone else in here, _Cece_.”

I wanted to strangle her with the oversized bow attached to my dress.

“Ignore her, babe.”Dom said, patting Rose's back soothingly. But she didn't even looked like it bothered her, because she jumped up and laughed. “Oh my great _goodness_! You guys should break the dresses in!” We all shook our heads a little and she grinned from ear to ear. “For today and tomorrow, I think ya’ll should wear the dress wherever you can so that you can get used to it!” Her idea made no sense. The dress was scratchy and irritating, and I just wanted to remove it and then throw it into a burning pile of cat litter.

Once we realised that disagreeing with this absolutely ridiculous idea wasn't going to work, we all just kind of smiled and nodded. Once we got through all the boring stuff like whether or not the dress fit well, we left, sporting the horrendous pink dresses.

* * *

 

I stepped into the bedroom after Louis and leaned against the closed door, listening to the fabric of the dress scratching against the wood. Mom had told all of us that we were going to the local pool right after, and I think half of the trip was so that we'd have a reason to take the dresses off.

Louis pulled his phone out and snapped a picture of me. I gave him an offended face and he smirked. “I need a pic to fap off to later.” he said sarcastically, tapping his phone in a way that made me a little nervous, wondering if he was sending that to people. “Oh _god_ , not only is this dress gross, but i’m gross in this dress. Its double gross.” I complained, not really caring that _I_ looked bad, but just adding it on as a random fact. Louis pocketed his phone and walked up to me, fingering a piece of random silk hanging from my dress.

“The dress looks like Lena’s personality.” he said, and I sighed, letting my head fall back against the door, resisting the urge to slide down the surface to the floor. “But you _don’t_ look gross. you never look gross. In fact, this dress is short enough to make you look delectable.” I watched as he fingered a small hole in the dress, sticking his finger through and making a satisfied noise. I glared at him until he looked up at me, and he frowned.

“ _What?_  Did I say something wrong?”

“No, you fucking _beige_ wall, you ripped a hole in my dress and then called me pretty.”

“Number _one_ , this dress would look better drenched in maple syrup, ketchup sauce and blood, let alone a hole. Letter _2_ , are you calling me a liar?” Then he pinned me between himself and the door, his face so close to mine.

I would feel his body against me if this damned dress wasn't _literally_  keeping us apart. His eyes blatantly moved to my lips and I held back a groan, putting my hands against his chest. “ _You're_ just trying to get into my dress.” I said, gesturing towards my garb. But then he moved away from me, looking absolutely offended.

“ _Excuse_ , you meany head, but I am _trying_ to convince you that I'm worth a shot.”

I needed a moment. Because he’s already convinced me he’s worth a shot, I just didn’t know if _I_ was worth a shot. I held up my hand in a stopping motion and crossed over to my suitcase, digging quickly through the bag, grabbing some swimming clothes. “bathroom.” I said, and practically _ran_ to safety.

Once I got out, Louis was in his original white t-shirt that had said “U r a lame lama” with a horse riding a cowboy on the front of it, (literally ridiculous, but it clung to his stomach, so I couldn't really complain) and swim trunks, sporting a pair of vans. He had a headband holding his hair back, and was on his phone, laughing at something or other. He looked up once he heard me, though, and made a face. “Why aren't you dressed for the occasion?” he asked. I assumed he was referring to the fact that I was in shorts and a T-shirt that said “Revenge is a dish best served MMORPG” and sandals.

“I am _too_ in swimming garb. I happen to have my swimsuit on under _all_ of this.” He smiled and wrapped his hand around my wrist, pulling me into him and putting his forehead against mine.

“ ** _Baby_**.” he murmured, his voice a bit strained.

I pressed my palms against his chest, but not enough to make him move. Kind of just so I could feel him there. “You okay there, hot stuff?” I asked. I meant for the ‘hot stuff’ part to be really sarcastic and rude, but it kind of came out weak and more of an actual compliment. He closed his eyes and gave a groaning noise.

“Not at all.” He said quietly, and looked at me, his face an abnormal serious. “I don't want you to think that I said I liked you because I want you physically.” He took a deep breath. “I told you that I liked you because there’s something about you that fascinates me, and I want more of it, all the time. And I think that means that i’m crushing on you, not just lusting. Cuz i’m used to just wanted to fuck something.But you're different. You always have been, babe.” I took a deep breath and opened my eyes, suddenly realising I had closed them.

“But you're all hot and stuff and i'm all _not_ and stuff. I mean, looks shouldn't matter, but wouldn't you look better hanging off Lena’s arm or something?” Louis quietly laughed and stroked my cheek with his thumb.

“You just called me hot and I’m holding that against you. Plus, _fuck_ Lena, she’s not you. Or human.” he pulled away and gestured to himself. “In the last _day_ i've admitted to liking you. I feel like, by now, you should know that Lena isn’t a threat to whatever this is.” I rolled my eyes.

“Well, then, the same goes for me and Anthony.”

Louis snorted.

“If you think that I am letting you anywhere near him, you are not only incorrect, but also wrong. The way he looks at you is down right offensive.” Louis said.

“Anthony _was_ my boyfriend, talking to him can't be so bad. Plus, he’s over me.” Louis gave me the most unamused face in the world. “He wants to be your boyfriend again, Cece. He drools over you when you walk in the room, I can usually see it dripping to the floor. I'm sure I saw him get a boner yesterday/.” I stuck my tongue out at him.

“You’re so fucking jealous.” He smirked.

“You bet my sweet little ass i'm jealous.”

* * *

I was lying in the sun next to Dom, who was hardcore tanning. He forced me to slather tanning lotion on his back the second we had walked into the gate that surrounded the pool. Louis had a put off look on his face when Dom demanded I do his back, but backed off when Dom said

“You _do_ understand that you are the _hottest_ man I've ever laid my precious eyes on, and _trust_. _Me_. I’d rather _you_ were slathering off-white cream onto my back.”

Now Louis was in the lounger next to me, running his fingers idly up and down his tan legs.

They were nice legs.

That’s when Rose gestured to Louis from the other side of the pool, and Louis made the most annoyed groan. getting up to go talk to her, _throwing_  his phone down into my lap.

Dom and I watched as he skirted around the edge of the pool, and then suddenly Xavier showed up behind him and shoved Louis as hard as he could.Louis lost his balance falling into the pool, letting out a loud yelping noise. Louis splashed around a little bit while Xavier held his stomach, laughing.

I turned to Dom and he was looking in the direction of Lena, completely unamused.

“She’s a circus whore.” He said, and unfolded a tanning table, setting it in his lap towards his face. “I wanna slap her in the face with an uncooked lasagna.” I replied, and Dom made an agreeing grunt, slipping on a pair of bright pink sunglasses that had “I only like my meat tough.” scrawled on the sides.

I snorted at him and went back to watching Louis, who was exiting the pool and throwing up two middle-fingers and mouthing “Fuck yourself with a rock.” Once he completely got out he started walking toward us, shoving his fingers through his soaked hair. It was still pulled back by his headband, otherwise it would undoubtedly be flopping into his face. I smiled at him as he walked slowly, trying not to slip on the water that was pouring from his outfit. I turned my head and saw Dom dramatically pulling his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose so that he could see Louis better, and making an appreciative noise.

Louis was something to behold. His arms were shining from the pool water, his white shirt completely see-through and clinging desperately to his stomach, the neckline lower than usual because it was so weighed down. His swim trunks were dripping furiously to the ground, and his arm muscles were bulging a little from him reaching up to run his fingers through his hair.

“I think i'm going to pass out.” Dom said, fanning himself with his hand.

I've never agreed with him more.

I glanced at Lena who was staring at him with some kind of fiery passion in her eyes, slapping her friends leg to get her attention.

I wanted to rupture her tibia.

“Xavier just started something that he'll definitely regret.” My eyes ripped from Lena and settled on Louis, who had finally reached us. Louis grabbed the hem of his shirt and peeled the fabric from his stomach, pulling it over his head, and then throwing it at me. It hit me in the face and I dropped the wet material to the ground, at first sending Louis a glare, but then getting distracted by his naked torso.

The mysterious tattoo was finally revealed. It was a carefully scripted phrase that said “It is what it is” Scrawled across his upper chest in black ink. Underneath that, towards the far left of his chest was the number “70” In thick black ink. It looked like it might've been a bit painful.

His stomach was toned, and flat, and he was gorgeous and I was smitten.

“You're hot.” Dom said, and pushed his glasses back onto his eyes and laid back to continue tanning.

Louis raised an eyebrow at him. “Cheers, mate.”  

“I have no idea what that means, honey but okay.” Dom said, sounding annoyed that someone was talking to him while he was trying to lie there. “Now go play, just because you're naturally tan with a nice ass doesn't mean that you can bother me.” And he waved his hand at us. I rolled my eyes and got up, stripping off the clothes I had over my bathing suit so I wouldn't have a repeat of what happened to Louis.

“I dare you to jump off the _big_ diving board.”

The pool was huge, and it had two diving boards, one that was a normal height away from the pool, and another that had steps attached to it, it was so high. A lot of steps. I’ve never been that particular diving board before, probably because it was really high, and the thought of falling that far into a pool scared me. Even though this community pool was 15 feet deep, the thought of launching myself from a diving board that was so high scared me to death.

“No. _Absolutely_ not. Are you crazy? It’s too high. And what if I fall to the hard ground while trying to get to the board in the _first_ place?” I worried, glancing at it and shaking my head.

“Oh, so you're afraid of _hard_ things? How _unfortunate_ , love.” Louis laughed.

“You know what? Just for that I’m going to jump off that _fucking_ board and i’m going to hit that _fucking_ water and you're gonna _fucking_  consume your words, Tommo.” I said, walking over to the ladder and grabbing hold of one of the cold metal rungs.

This was so _dangerous._ The rungs were wet, one slip and I could hit the ground. _Seriously_ , only stupid people and teenage boys-wait… that’s the same thing isn’t it?-would dare go up here.

I climbed onto the platform and looked down at Louis, who was smiling and giving me a thumbs up, and looked around. Rose was shouting “If you _die_ before my wedding, I’m going to _kill_ you.” and lena was pointing and laughing,- a bit over dramatically- Dom was still tanning, oblivious to what was happening, my dad was waving his hand at his neck, gesturing for me to quit it, and my mom was giving me a thumbs down.

I looked over the edge and gulped. Heights weren't really my _thing_ , and the water looked endless, and deep, and it was all a little intimidating.

Oh well.

I was sure that trying to go back down the ladder was more dangerous than jumping into this pool, so I threw Louis a middle finger and jumped, freefalling for a split second. Then water whooshing around me, everywhere. I could hear it moving, and I didn’t open my eyes, just swam up, trying to reach the top. The water was cold, but felt silky against my skin.

Finally I reached the real world, my ears breaking through and hearing collective clapping, and -probably- Louis whooping, and then I took a deep breath of beautiful, loevely air.

I blinked water out of my eyes and swam to the edge,Louis dropping down in front of me, his eyes twinkling. “How do your words taste, Lou?” I asked, punching him in the ankle, kicking my legs to keep me from floating away. Louis eased himself into the water and pulled me against him and whispered in my ear, his voice going husky and thick.

“Probably not better than you.”

I shuddered and definitely-okay, _maybe_ \- did not groan, and Louis smirked. “I hate you so much, you fucking google cloud.” I said while Louis pulled off his soaked headband and threw it in the general direction of our chairs, a loud “I’m trying to _tan_!” shouted after the headband was thrown.

“Did you just call me the google cloud?”

“Yes, because everyone hates you.” I said nonchalantly, reaching up and running my fingers through the wet mess on his head. I couldn't help it, it was just... _there_. my hands settled on the back of his neck and he slapped my arm playfully. “I thought _I_ was supposed to be shamelessly flirting with you.” Louis said, and I pulled my hand away, surprised. I didn’t even notice that I was flirting with him.

I just wanted to touch him a lot.

Like, _all the time_ a lot.

That’s when Lena and her friend passed by, snickering.

“God, they are so _fake_. At least her boyfriend is hot though. All the other ones she’s had for me were _severely_ lacking.” I made a face at her and Louis tapped my shoulder to get my attention, turning around to address all the people who were currently lounging in the pool. “Who’s up for a bit of Marco Polo?” Louis called, and there was collective cheering from the pool patrons.

After a hardcore game of Marco Polo,- Louis having won a suspicious amount of times- we got ready to leave. All of our things were collected on our arms, Louis’ mostly dry shirt was hanging off his body, and he had somehow gotten roped into holding Dom’s tanning sheet thing. Lena stood in front of us and then rolled her eyes.

I hope they aggressively fall out of the socket.

“You look _horrible_. I mean, not because you’re wet or anything but because you like, _exist_.” I glared at her.

“Don’t you have some souls to go inhale or some nail polish to eat or something?” I asked while Louis tried to fit something into my pool bag, his half- dry hair brushing against my elbow as he moved around.

She laughed like the joke was on _m_ _e_.

 “So, why don't you give me your friend’s number? Or lend us your bedroom sometime? Because I'm downright horny, and he is **_so_** available.” She said, pulling out her phone to record Louis’ number.

“Oh, of _course_. His number is 1-800-fall face first into a vat of boiling lava, bitch.” Louis stood up and laughed, having managed to sit the bottle he had been holding precariously on top of something else. “ _Oh._  Are you worried about him cheating, maybe? Because it’s not  _cheating_ if you two aren't actually a _couple_.” She said innocently, batting her eyelashes and smiling at Louis.

“ I think you’d be so gorgeous buried inside of me.”

I scoffed, amazed at her bravado, and also filled with a terrible amount of envy because Louis was looking at her- calculating- and it was making me self-conscious. No wonder she managed to take all of my partners. She had flawless brown skin and a flat stomach, and impeccable clothing taste, and she was willing to fuck anything that moved. and this was the _exact_ thing that it seemed like men had a weakness for.

It was also the exact thing that I didn’t have.

And she was rolling her eyes over his body- so that he could see her doing it- licking her lips in a silent promise.

I wanted to slap her in the face with a king sized toblerone bar.

Then Louis looked at me. I got ready to watch him take Lena's hand and silently lead her out of this gate towards a world of great sex and loud moaning.

Then I was kissing him.

Oh.

 _Oh_.

 ** _Oh_**.

I was _kissing_ him.

And it was perfect. His mouth was soft, and pleasant, and _perfect_ , and he felt like he was made just for me, and I heard Lena crying next to us and it was _perfect_.

Okay, the crying part wasn't real.

And then he pulled away, his eyes a darker blue than normal, flickering from my lips to my eyes and I watched him visibly _swallow_ , and it was a little much for me to handle.

Lena stomped her foot and gave an angry sounding noise, grabbing her friend’s hand and practically storming out. I opened my mouth to say something to Louis- Maybe to beg him to kiss me again- when my dad walked up and glared at him.

“You're in the car with me.” He said, and Louis nodded, walking behind my father. He turned around and threw up finger guns, acting as if he was shooting at me.

**_Fucking asshole._ **

* * *

Louis was sitting in the middle of the bed, his legs crossed and on his phone, singing something that sounded a lot like “Why’d you only call me when you're high?” by the Arctic Monkeys. His hair was falling into his eyes and he was trying to flick it out of his vision, tapping his phone almost violently and screaming at the screen.

“ _Fuck_ you! I just want the _fucking_ wings with the _fucking_ flames you ** _fucking piece of liquid armchair_**.” I walked towards the bed, aiming for a spot that looked like at least some of my body could fit on-since Louis was in the way-and I sort of tripped over something and fell face first into Louis' lap.

He was wearing sweatpants, and the fabric felt weird against my cheek, so I turned over and looked at him. He quirked an eyebrow at me. “If you wanted to fall into my crotch you could've told me earlier, love.” Louis said, glancing at his phone and cursing.

“Are you playing RUA?” I asked.

“RUA2” he said, throwing his phone on the bed and flipping it off. “And I just lost again. I just wanted the _wings_ …” he complained, shifting so that i'd be more comfortable resting my head in his lap. I nodded. “Bitches be crazy.” I said, and Lou gave me a small smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

I understood. One time I was trying to beat this score on Mario 64 and I cried for like, 5 minutes. Louis reached down and stroked his thumb across my cheek, and it felt nice.

“You… _kissed_ me today.” I whispered, and Louis’ thumb faltered for a second.

“Well, Lena was- _is_ testing my patience. It was either that or pushing her- heels, lipstick and all- in a pool, or kissing you. I chose kissing you because I was afraid my hand would shrivel up and blacken once i touched her.” Louis said, his shrug saying “nonchalant” but his eyes saying something else entirely.

“I…. I...I-” Louis rolled his eyes and leaned down, closer to my face. “Spit it out, lovely.” He murmured quietly, his eyes traveling down my body.  

I wanted to cover myself with my hands.

“I-I thought it was nice.” _Wow_ , what an understatement.

He smirked at me, leaning in a little closer. My breathing slowed.

“Tell me you want to be together and I can do it again.” He whispered as he leaned in and pressed his mouth against mine, a chaste, teasing kiss.

 _Oh_ , _ **god**_.

I sat up and shoved him off my spot on the bed, scrambling under the covers and shutting my eyes. I felt rustling, and then

“ _No_ , no no no, _nope_. You are _not_ running from this.” I opened my eyes and Louis was hovering over me, much like this morning.

“I was _asleep_ , you stale tub of cream cheese.” I said, and Louis ran his hand over my covered form and smiled at me.

“I want to touch you.” He said, and I shivered.

“Well, too _bad_. I don’t allow broken Mp3 players like you to be anywhere _near_ the work of art that I like to call my body.” I said, and he placed two fingers on my chin and tilted my face up to look at him in those beautiful, gorgeous eyes of his.

“Number one, _you’re_ a broken mp3 player. Number two, I know for a _fact_ that you want to touch me too. And number three, we _both_ know that you won’t be with me in real life because you're afraid. That i'll leave you, or treat you badly, or ‘hit it and quit it’ as i've heard Americans say.”

He was right. I mean, _look_ at him. Lena wanted to fuck him and look at _her_.

“There’s so many... _people_ out there that would jump off a building for a chance at you, and you're right here telling _me_ that i'm the one you want? Are you sure it’s not because you're horny and i'm a girl?” I asked, so ready to feel that mouth on mine again.

“In fact, it is _not_ because I'm horny and you're a girl. If it was, then I’d be with Lena, don’t you think?” Louis asked, stroking my chin. I wrestled my arms out from under the blankets and pushed my fingers through his hair.

The silky softness was calming and distracting and all consuming.

“Are you lying?” I mumbled, my fingers wrapping around strands of his hair, hanging on.

“Nope.” He said, popping his “P”.

“Are you _sure_?” My speech was slowing as I looked at his lips, ready to kiss him.

 _So_ ready to kiss him.

I was _starved_.

And we had only kissed like, a few minutes ago.

“ ** _God, yes_**.” He moaned, his voice had emotion in it, something I don't think anyone could fake.

He sounded starved too.

“Oka-” He cut me off, his lips pressing softly against mine, the feel of him over taking me, over powering me.

It was so much, but it wasn’t enough.

I dragged my fingertips over his shoulder blades as he rested on his forearms, kissing me lazily, slowly, with no rush.

_Oh, **god.**_

I pulled back for any sort of breath and he rolled off me, crawling under the covers and making himself comfortable.

We turned towards each other and he wrapped his arm around my torso and pulled me into his chest. I laid my head next to the fabric of his shirt and breathed him in as his own breathing started to go regular, a sleeping sort of pace.

“By the way, I am _so_ horny.” He whispered, his voice sounding like he was so sleepy it wouldn't've been able to achieve much more than a whisper.

 _ **Fucking asshole**_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 6 is coming soon, yippity yo


	6. No present like my presence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> /-_-/

I opened my eyes, making a gross groaning sound. I settled on my elbows and looked around, glaring towards the bright light coming from the bathroom door that had originally woken me up. There was a loud showering sound coming from the bathroom, and then a squeaking, and the sound of the water stopping.

The first question I was going to ask that rubbery front door of a man was “ _Why_ do you think it’s okay to wake people up?” But the words sort of dissipated from my brain when Louis walked out, his phone pressed to his ear. “Okay, right but fuck _you_ , mate.” Louis said, his voice playful as he idly scratched his stomach.

His stomach was so flat, _ugh_. It was the kind of stomach that every girl talked about, the kind that grown women talked about, the kind that was all toned and tanned and gorgeous, the kind with a perfect happy trail dusted underneath the belly button, hinting at something that girls _really,_   **really** talked about.

It was all too much for having just having woken up, really. There was a pink towel wrapped loosely around his waist, hanging low, his hipbones prominent.

I just wanted to rub my hands over like, all of it.

He pulled his phone from his ear-done with the conversation- and then looked at me, raising his eyebrows.

“Oh, you’re up?” I really tried to glare at him, but _Jesus_ he looked so good. I could barely form a sentence. I nodded, and he looked at me. “So the bridal shower is today? Isn’t that supposed to be just for you know… the birds?” Louis asked,wiping at a drop of water that had fallen onto his neck.

“Yeah, well, Rose wanted _everyone_ there. Oh and the bachelor and bachelorette parties are to- ** _Fuck_**  I have to go buy her a gift for the shower...” I managed to say, groaning and sliding out of the bed, standing in the middle of the room and glaring at my suitcase, wishing I didn't have to go out so soon, since the bridal shower started around noon.

Louis smiled. “I’ll go with you, babe, as a supportive boyfriend who is aggressively avoiding the she-devil.”  

Wait, did he mean Rose or Lena?

“ _Thanks_ so much. Don’t you have to….” I trailed off when Louis looked me right in the eye and reached down,tugging at his towel.He pulled it up to dry off his hair- which had been violently dripping over his shoulders- and he shivered from the wetness. “ _Wow_ , that’s cold.” He murmured, and I barely heard it because I was a little busy staring at him naked. _It_ was long, thick and tan. Like him. I mean, he wasn’t thick. Or long, really. But he was tan.

It was nice.

Well, y’know, for a penis.

I could barely focus on the fact that he had looked me dead in the eyeball and pulled off his bath towel.

I was the definition of flustered.

And a little horny.

He cleared his throat and my eyes snapped up to his as he raised his eyebrow, the picture of innocence set into his features.

“My eyes are up here, love.”

* * *

Louis was driving- he managed to convince me to let him by kicking my ankle until I screamed “Fucking _fine_!”- and he pulled into the parking lot of the store called “Diamond’s”. I raised my eyebrow at him as he got out of the car and then looked at me expectantly.

Okay, so we were going into that store?

“Lou, you do understand that the lowest costing item in here is like, a jillion bucks, right?” Louis looked at me, a little surprised. I don’t know why.

I mean like,the fucking name of the store is Diamond’s for christ’s sake.

“Have you ever been inside?” Louis asked, holding his hand out for me to take. I glanced at him and then intertwined my fingers in his. It was the first time I've ever held hands with him in the private.

His hand was warm.

“No...legend has it that they charge at the door.” I joked, and Louis shrugged like this was no problem to him. “C’mon, let’s see what’s in here.” He said.

It was the last store that we'd be hitting up, because we had already gotten the bridal shower gifts. I guess he just wanted to get out to look around town a little bit. He let go of my hand to open the front door. I definitely did _not_ stare at his ass in those tight pants as he walked in front of me. Or think about him naked. Nothing like that.

Like at _all_.

Well, maybe a little bit kind of.

When we stepped inside, I could actually _feel_ the pompous. The building was large- like the wedding dress place- and the decor was black and white. Elegant. The colors in the room-blues, green, reds- were all separated out by table and alcove, so you'd be able to shop by color.

I've never felt more out of place. I was wearing an “If you don’t give me pizza i’ll eat your brains” T-shirt and sweatpants.(Rose had seen the outfit and I swear she made a cross with her fingers and hissed at me). The air was stuffy. Not stuffy like, hard to breathe, but stuffy like rich people stuffy. I looked at Louis and was taken aback by how well placed he looked here. He was dressed in skinny jeans and a black T-shirt, but there was something about his demeanor that just said “Bow down, peasants.”

That didn't stop him from throwing some dangerous looking shade, though.

He leaned over after we had approached the pink themed table and alcove and whispered in my ear.

“Why don't you dress like _that_ in the bedroom, baby?” His voice was so completely slathered in sarcasm I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing embarrassingly loud. He was talking about a lady who was wearing blue from head to toe, covering almost her entire body.

A long sleeve blue sheer blouse with an ankle length blue skirt- the exact same shade as her shirt, and blue heels- the same shade- that added like, three inches to her overall height. It was very conservative.

And also very ugly.

She was actually walking this way, and for a second I was worried that she had heard Louis. But then I remembered that Louis gets away with a lot of things and I was sure he would be able to sidestep a rude comment.

“Wow,Did Rose take fashion lessons from here?” he asked, and I snorted as the lady approached us and held out her hand. She was wearing blue gloves to match her whole... thing going on.

I shook it quickly and moved my hand away, detesting the feel of the cloth covering her hands. It was scratchy and unpleasant. She looked me up and down slowly, like I was a prized white bengal tiger for her “Richer than you” collection or something. Then she made a little face and turned to Louis, giving him a slightly less offended face and shaking his hand too.

“Is there any way I can help you two?” Man she really sounded offended that we had set foot in here.

“Maybe if we had been given more than point five _seconds_ to look around we would need help.” Louis said sarcastically.

“Well, we have a very nice clothing section in case your wife here would like to browse through our items.” Her voice said polite, but the face she was making and they way she was looking at my outfit like it was a zombie plague said completely opposite.

Yeah, because she didn't look like the piece of sky that had fallen on chicken little.

“You _eyeballin_ me, boy?” I asked, turning my accent as southern as possible and lowering it, slowing it down so I’d sound like an angry southern man. She clutched her chest and shuffled off to go assist a couple that actually looked like they belonged here.

“Hey, what do you think about this? Is it horrible enough?” Louis asked, holding up a weird pink cloth thing that closely resembled something a hooker might wear.

“No, Lou! Rose is a lady.” I picked up a huge pink bow that closely resembled the orange ones on the bridesmaids dresses.

Or terror factories, as I liked to call them.

I puckered my lips and posed with the bow, putting it in front of my hair and then changing positions, placing it on my shirt, and then back in front of my hair. “I think this is perfect.”

Louis smiled at me. “I think you're perfect.” he said quietly and I crooked my head at him.

“Pardon?” I asked, checking to make sure that’s what he had said.

“I _fucking said_ that you're perfect.” He stated, and starting walking away from the table. I shook my head and grabbed his arm, shaking the offensive bow in front of his face. “This thing is _one hundred_  dollars, gorgeous.” I said, and he raised his eyebrows.

 _Fuck_. I meant to say he was "The banana that turns black after the first day."

“Pricey for a bow that looks like buffalo sick.” He said, walking up to the cash register. I was confused. Was he still going to buy it? I wouldn't pay for this if it exceeded 50 _cents_ let alone 50 _bucks_. I caught up with him at the counter and he held out his hand so that I could set it in his palm. I placed it in his hand.

“Are you going to _pay_ for this?” I asked, amazed as he pulled out a wallet as a lady rung up the bow.

“Well, it's not like i'm going to _steal_ it. Someone's already seen me holding it.” He said.

What.

“That will be 127 dollars and 68 cents” The lady said, and I gaped at her. The price tag had said 99 bucks!

“There’s a 27 dollar tax on this?” The lady looked at me like I had punched her in the face or something.

“You must pay the price for beauty, darling. And it looks like you're paying about two dollars. _Maximum_.” she said as she handed the bag and Louis’ debit card back to him. I made a dramatic gasp worthy of a Dom and clutched my chest- much like the worker lady from earlier- as Louis practically dragged me out of the front door.

“Did you hear what that bowl of mashed popurri said to me?” I asked as he parked in the driveway. Louis undid his seatbelt and sighed.

“Yes. You reminded me the _entire_ trip back.”

“Well I reminded you because I am so _offended._  I should tell Dom, he’d go kick her slippery ass.” I responded, crossing my arms. “I mean, really I am _so_ worth more than two dollars, I am worth three fifty at _least_! I can-”

I was cut off by Louis kissing me, his mouth soft and pliable and his hands cupping my face. I made a strangled gasping noise as he pulled away and sighed. But this was a different sigh, a breathless sigh.

Did I take his breath away?

He hadn't pulled far away from my mouth, though, only a few inches. I could feel his breath against my face.

“That shut you the fuck up.” He murmured, his blue eyes getting darker and his lips parting as his eyes met mine.

He was going to need to chill out on the sexy.

“Did you call me ‘gorgeous’?” He asked quietly, rubbing his thumb idly over my bottom lip. I shivered from the contact.

“What?” I asked, deeply confused as to why he was asking me questions right now.

“Earlier. At the store. You called me ‘gorgeous’” He said, his mouth brushing against mine, teasing me.

“Um, I think so, does it matter?” I asked, pushing my fingers through his soft hair, resisting the urge to push his mouth against mine. “I just… you think i’m gorgeous?” He asked, moving his thumb to rest on my chin.

Well, I guess I haven’t really told him that I thought he was beautiful, not really.

What the fuck _anyway_ , doesn't he  _know_ he's beautiful?

I don't think he cared that much, though, because he was kissing me again, and I swear it got better each time he did. His tongue gently wiped over my bottom lip, asking for permission. I groaned and parted my lips, allowing him to deepen the kiss.

His tongue was exploring my mouth for exactly half a second when there was a knock on the window, and a face peering through. Louis pulled a few inches away and looked out the window with the most annoyed face on, and then it immediately turned into one of respect.

I looked over and saw my dad absolutely _fuming_. Like, you could _taste_  the stereotypical sitcom dad rolling off him. Louis pulled off me- a bit reluctantly I might add-and reached into the back seat to get the gifts we had bought.

I rolled down the car window and my dad could barely get the words out. “In the house, **_now_**.” He said, crossing his arms.

“Dad-” I started and he shook his head at me, stopping me in my tracks.

I am sick of him treating me like a 16 year old girl. I can kiss my boyfriend in a car if _damn wanted to_.

Omg Louis was my boyfriend.

I think.

Now I _sound_ like a 16 year old girl.

I huffed and unbuckled my seatbelt, opening the door to the car and slipping out. Louis stood next to me- holding the shopping bags- and rubbed my lower back in support. My dad glared at us sternly and pointed to the door in a silent demand. I made a loud groaning noise and stomped inside.

* * *

“Rose’s shower is in an _hour_ and you two are doing the hanky panky in the front yard?” My dad practically screamed, pacing in the middle of our room as we sat on the bed, Louis trying not to laugh, me trying not to think about Louis.

“ _Dad_ , we went to go buy some gifts for the shower, we weren't _doing_ the hanky panky. At the most we were doing the hanky.” I said, crossing my arms again. “And I am _24 years_ old, It cannot be a big deal that I was kissing my boyfriend.” I said, and I could feel Louis’ surprise.

His surprise made sense because we weren't putting on a show like normal, and I think I just told him he was my boyfriend.

And I also think that I don’t mind.

“ _Kissing_ your- I- _this_...I can’t- _you_ -” My dad rubbed his forehead with his palm. “If you two are ‘ _kissing_ ’ in public, then what are you doing up _here_? In this room? We made a deal that you two weren’t supp-” I groaned and stood up.

“We are _not_ doing this right now.Or  _ever._ ”

“You two are not supposed to be having...sex. There, I said it.” He said, and I heard Louis say “Well I know for sure that there’s been no pankering. Or hankering.” in a very begruding voice. If I wasn’t so focused on getting my dad out of my room, I would’ve been flattered by the lust in Louis’ voice.

“What was that, son?” My father asked, turning his wrath upon Louis. “Nothing, just that we haven’t even come _close_ to panking.” He said bluntly.

My dad looked so _angry_.

It was amazing.

“I do not _like_ this whole thing going on. I think I'm going to talk to your mom about you rooming with Rose. This is just not working out for me.” And he left the room, closing the door behind him.

“I think that went well.” Louis said, pulling out his phone to text someone.

“I’m calling him overreacter Rick from now on.” I said, sitting on the bed next to Louis.

“Oh please, one time I was caught _actually_ fucking this girl and let me just tell you, metal bats and chocolate milk do  _not_ mix.” He said.

* * *

We were in the living room, with the couch having been pulled out of the way to make a clear floor, and there were a few tables-like the pull out ones they usually had at barbeques and stuff- set in its place.

Rose had done her best to make the tables look presentable. She had put pink and orange table cloths over them and tried to divert the attention from the tables to the snacks sitting on the kitchen island.

Dom had texted me that he couldn't come because he had “better things to do, like stare at pictures of long dicks and not be at that fru fru ass bridal shower” so I knew he wasn't going to show up.

Lots of people were walking through the door, though, bearing gifts and setting them on the table. My father had managed to come up with a work excuse and slip out of going to the shower,Lena was standing behind the kitchen island talking to her friend about how she gained 'like 10 pounds from a chip' she had consumed, Anthony was helping serve food with my mom, Rose was greeting people, and Louis and I were forced to stand behind the gift table to make sure nobody took anything.

Louis picked up a present and violently shook it, holding it up to his ear.

“Yup, I think it’s a puppy.” I didn’t have much time to respond- he had been doing this to most of the gifts, shaking them and trying to guess what they were, regardless of the fact that Rose was going to open them- when Lena walked up to the table and sneered at me. “Servitude is a suiting look on you.” Then she turned her head to look at Louis. “But I look _better_ in a maid’s costume.” and dropped her gift into Louis’ hand, swiveling her hips as she walked away from the table.

I wanted to shove push-pins into her stomach.

Louis raised his eyebrow at me and shook the present Lena had handed him. “Definitely satan’s butt plug.”

* * *

 

Rose walked up behind the table and stood with us, clapping her hands excitedly. “So, as ya'll been waiting for, the gifts!” everyone gave a little mumble and Louis took my hand and lead me to lean against the kitchen island since all the seats had been taken.

 _ **Fuck**_ yes, some food.

I reached in front of me and grabbed an embarrassing amount of M&M’s.

And by embarrassing I mean in the sense that there was not enough of them in my palm.

So I grabbed some more.

Lena was staring at me and making a swelling motion near her stomach. I wanted to drop these candies into her drink so that she’d be forced  to choke on them.

Once Rose had gotten through all the gifts, (Louis was wrong on every single one of them, and whenever she exclaimed what tey were. he'd say “I was _so_ close!” every. time.)she waved a hand over ours to showcase them.

“I asked my wedding party and accompanying friends to put their gifts over here. Best for last!” Someone started clapping- maybe because that meant that the shower was almost over- and Rose genuinely smiled, reaching for Lena’s present first.

Rose opened the boring white bag and pulled out a piece of paper. “My...presence…?” Rose said, and looked at Lena.

She smiled “Well, _anyone_ who's had the pleasure to be around me thinks my presence is a gift, and i’m giving this to you because so many people have to _pay_ to see me, and I'm giving you me for _free_!” and then Lena’s friend giggled and said “Oh my _god_ , we’re so lucky!”

Louis scoffed as Rose reached for my mom’s gift, opening it. “It’s a turkey baster!” Rose’s friends clapped happily and she opened my dad’s gift. “It’s a… taser!” She said and Louis snapped his fingers at me.

“I was close that time, I said it was a bebe gun.” It was true, he had said that. But I wasn't sure why my dad thought it'd be a good idea to set Rose loose- days before her wedding- with a brand new taser. She grinned “Maybe I can use it to get Cece out of bed!”

I was actually worried.

She reached for Xavier’s present later and it was a panty and bra set.It was really cute, black with little red bows on the sides.

“ _Beautiful_.” Lena said, walking up and taking it from Roses grasp, smoothing the set out against her chest and modeling it for herself, gasping like it was _her_ present. Rose locked eyes with her and tore the clothes from Lena’s grasp and kind of just giggled at her.

It was actually more scary than the taser.

Lena just rolled her eyes and disappeared upstairs with her friend.

She opened Xavier’s present and it was a bracelet, nothing too big or daring, something right up Rose’s alley.

“This is so _nice_ , Xavier, thank you so much.”

Then she got to Louis’ presents and opened one. She didn't read the tag hanging from the bag saying who the gift was from, but I knew that it said “From the rad rad west, Louis” because I had watched him snicker and write it in with a pink sharpie.

When she saw what it was though, she genuinely actually screamed and pulled it out, the bag dropping to the floor forgotten.”It’s **_pink_**! Thank you, Lou!” She managed to say through the screaming and the jumping and the waving her hands around from elation.

I flinched.

Then she picked up Louis’ next present- a pink and blue gift bag that said “It’s a bouncing baby boy!” on the side in glittery bubble letters.

“Oh, it’s _heavy_.” Rose said, her voice full of excitement. She pulled apart the handles of the bag to peer in and then glanced up at Louis.

“What in the horse’s hoof is this?” She asked, glancing back in the bag.

“A gift from my heart to yours, babe.” Louis said, leaning heavily against the counter and pointing at his chest to Rose’s-with a sarcastic smile- across the room.

“Louis, this bag is filled to the brim with cashews.” She said, raising her eyebrow at him. Louis shrugged and sucked on a straw. His drink had been gone at least 5 minutes beforehand, so the noise was sloppy and empty and horribly annoying.

Rose walked up to Louis and handed him the gift bag, her hands on her hips.

“What you don’t like it? I thought it matched your personality pretty well.” I snorted and Rose gave him an offended glare and silently pointed at him and walked back over to the gift tables, picking mine up as if she hadn't just given him a death point.

My gift was a total of 99 cents.

Fuck if ima spend money on anyone’s gift but my own.

“Oh how… _nice_. It’s a….vibrating toothbrush.” She tried to press the on button and nothing happened. “That’s broken.”

Well at least she’ll get more use out of it than she would out of a chinet plate covered in kittens.

I had a horrible feeling that she’d never stop wearing that bow, though. Maybe because she had convinced one of the bridesmaids to clip it to her bun, and it looked just as ridiculous as she was.

I couldn't begin to explain to _anyone_ or _anything_ how much I love Rose.

* * *

I stepped in behind Louis and closed the door, somehow managing to be the one who had to carry the ridiculously heavy bag of cashews. “The bachelor and bachelorette parties start in…. three hours.” I said, placing the bag on top of my dresser. Louis leaned against the wall next to my bathroom door and hitched his foot up on plaster, leaning back and pulling out his phone. After a few seconds his fingers started rhythmically tapping the screen, and he was looking intently at the phone.

His fingers were mesmerizing.

I’m a mess.

“What are you wearing to the party?” I asked Louis, and he didn't answer, his fingers tapping faster on the screen.

“You know, cuz I was thinking about wearing a green leopard print leotard.” I said to get his attention, and he made a grunt.

“Sexy.” He said, and I rolled my eyes at him and pulled out my own- not-so-smart- phone, texting him and slipping it back in my pocket.

A notification noise that sounding a lot like a man screaming- “Fuck er’ right in the pussy!” went off and he cursed under his breath, checking the text and then looking up at me with a glare that didn't reach his mouth, cuz there was a smirk there.

It sent a feeling down my spine that i've never felt before the dried up paintbrush that is Louis Tomlinson.

“‘You’re that bag of rejected cashew nuts on my dresser’?” Louis read aloud, raising an eyebrow. I just nodded and he made a deep, dramatic sigh. “I’m going to wear jeans and a t-shirt.” Louis answered me, going back to his phone. “And you don’t _own_ a green leopard print leotard.”

I crossed my arms. “What if I had a green leotard in that draw over there? And how do you know what clothes I own anyway?”

He looked a little embarrassed and scratched his neck. “Well, I've seen you wear all of your outfits. You’re wearing my favorite jeans right now.” He murmured and looked at the pants.

“Louis, I haven’t worn these jeans except for today.” I said, looking down at them and then up at him. “You kind of… wore them the day we met for the first time.” He stammered it out, and I looked at him shocked.

“You remember my outfit the day I met you?” I asked, and he gave a little nervous laugh. “Yeah, I mean… you were all… fiesty and beautiful and… stuff so I guess I remember your jeans from that day. Sentimental, innit?” Louis said, and I was shocked.

More than I was before.

“Wow, Lou, you'd think you had a crush on me before this trip or something.”

“I did.” He said, and then gave another nervous laugh.

“So, _do_ you have a green leotard?’ He asked quickly and fled to my dresser, opening the drawers and pulling out… a leopard green leotard. His eyes widened and he looked at the clothing article, then me, then back at the one piece again.

“ _ **What**_?” he asked, his voice high-pitched from amusement.

I shrugged.

“ _No_ , NO **NO** NO NO **_no_** no no no. Why in the hickey _heck_ do you have a leopard green leotard in your dresser?” I rolled my eyes like it was actually a stupid question.

“Okay, well... Dom bought it for me. As a joke. His exact words were ‘This is cuter than anything you’ve bought and ever will buy, you’re welcome.’ And then genuinely purchased it for me.”

Louis laughed, clutching his stomach and bending over. “It’s so _loud_! Oh god, I have to see this- put it on.” He said, holding it out to me. I made a face at it. It was a bright, bright green, with black leopard print _everywhere_ and it looked like the worst idea since putting orange and pink together as a wedding theme.

There was no way I was going to touch that thing, let alone put it on.

Louis made a pouty face. “C'mon, I bet you've never even tried it on before, and i'm going to need at _least_ ten pictures so that I can show _everyone_.”

I shook my head.

“Alright. Fine. _I’ll_ put it on.”

Oh my god.

“No, Lou-” He put a finger against my mouth dramatically and turned his head sharply to the side- just as dramatically- staring-dramatically- at nothing on the ceiling.

“It must be done.” He whispered- dramatically, and strutted into the bathroom.

Oh, _no_.

I paced in front of the bathroom door, biting my thumb, trying to ignore the loud thumping and “ ** _Fuck_**!” noises coming from the other side of the door.

After a disturbingly loud banging sound, the door opened and Louis posed, arching his back and touching the top of the doorway, giving me a sexy glance. “How do I-” he flicked his hair dramatically “ _Look_?”

Oh, _**no**_.

It was way too bright, and small for him, and literally he looked like a male ice skater and oh _god_ , I just wanted him to take it off.

“You look like Dom’s type of guy.” I laughed, biting my thumb.

Louis gave me a slightly concerned look and moved away from the doorway, walking to stand in front of me. “It’s so _tight_.” He complained, and I tried not to laugh, he looked so ridiculous. “I look better than you would, though.” he said, and struck another pose.

“Oh god, please take it off, Lou, baby _please_.” I begged, and he smirked.

“Only cuz you said ‘baby please’ And also because it feels like there’s a boa constrictor around my dick.”

He came out of the bathroom a few minutes later in a shirt and a T-shirt and jeans, holding the leotard up.

“Burn?” He asked and I nodded, watching him toss it out of my open bedroom window, acting like I didn't hear a “What the _hell_?” drifting from the back yard.

* * *

“ _Okay_ , so this guy I was going out with told me that he ‘had a surprise’ back at his place, right? So we got there-me for the first time- and the surprise was a closet full of bagels.” Dom said, and everyone looked at him.

Rose gasped.“ _Bagels_ , Dominic?”

He gave her this “I shit you not” look and said “I shit you not, he had a fucking _refrigerator_ in the back of the closet filled with tubs of differently flavored cream cheese.” All the bridesmaids sat there in shock staring at him while he leaned forward.

“You didn’t… break _up_ with him... did you?” I asked, because if he had a bagel boyfriend, I was going to have to meet him. And then demand that he let me spend the night in his closet.

“Of _course_ I broke up with him, his closet was full of bagels.” Dom said, giving me a weird look.

We had been at this bachelorette party for about an hour and a half, and it was surprisingly fun. Rose had refused to allow anyone to have alcohol because “I will not have drunken women in my midst” and also gave Xavier the rule that there would be no alcohol at _his_ party either or she’d end their engagement and marry a goat, because a goat “Wouldn’t be a disrespectful cow patty.” And Xavier just sighed and agreed, kissing her forehead before leaving. 

The only people who came were the seven bridesmaids-including me- and Dom.

Speaking of bridesmaids, Lena was wearing a _short_ -shorter than the pink tar pits Rose calls “dresses”- leather dress that was a bright, bright red, with a plunging neckline and matching pumps.

I imagined shoving the heel of her shoe into her funny bone.

“What a shame, too, he was a _dynamite_ lay.” Dom continued and a bridesmaid-Aretha- squealed.

“You have _sex_?” She asked and I turned my head to the side, staring into the air like it was a camera and I was a character from a sitcom who had been deemed speechless by the stupidity of another character.

“Do _you_ have sex?” He responded and she held up her hand, a wedding ring shining on it.

“Yes.”

“Then I have sex too, and I bet it’s better than yours will _ever_ be, honey.”

“No need to be _rude_!” Rose berated and he sighed.

“I like penis just as much as the next guy, so I don’t see why I wouldn’t have sex. But then again, Cece likes penis and is practically a virgin.”

I shrugged, not wanting to be put on the spot like that.

Lena made a laughing noise. “yeah, probably because all of her boyfriends are shit in bed.” I glared at her.

That’s when the front door opened and Louis strutted through, popping something into his mouth and chewing on it. Then he turned around and spotted us lounging on the floor.

“Well, _hi_.” Louis said, walking over to us and plopping down next to me, kissing my cheek and holding up a nut. “Cashew?” he asked and I shook my head at him.

Shouldn't he be at the bachelor party?

“What, no chick flicks? Or like, strippers?” Louis asked, sounding upset about the movie, but sounding relieved about the strippers. “Because you know, I heard ‘The vow’ is a really good movie, not that i've seen it or anything.” he said, popping another cashew into his mouth.

“Why are you _here_? The bachelor’s party can’t possible be over yet.” Rose said as Louis sprung up and walked over to the DVD case next to the TV,studying the movies there. Rose looked like she was actually going to explode, I was genuinely worried for Louis’ safety. He screamed “AHH” in a very embarrassing tone of voice and sharply turned, holding up a DVD.

“ _Sisterhood of the traveling pants_?” Dom read, and one of the bridesmaids gagged. “People _own_ that movie?” She asked and Louis frowned.

“It’s a _touching_ story about friendship and _love_.” He whined. Then he saw all of our unamused faces.

“ ** _Fine_**.” And he put that up and pulled out another movie. “ _High school musical 2._ ” He said and we all cheered in agreement with the choice.

Louis sat down once the movie started playing and everyone had settled into a comfortable group.Some were on the floor, some were in chairs and some sat on the coffee table. Louis and I had the couch. He was sitting next to me and leaning in.

Lena got up silently and stood in front of him, running her hands over her body while he tried to watch the screen.

“Let’s get out of here.” She not-so-subtly whispered, and I thought about punching her in the dick.

“Why?” Louis asked, his eyes focusing on her.

“Because this party is lame and baby, I think you could wreck me.”

He raised his eyebrows.

“I _know_ I could wreck you, love.” He said, and she took a deep breath, smiling.

“Well, _come_ with me, then.” She said, her voice a sickly sweet.

“While that’s a lovely request, I’m quite entranced by Troy Bolton and Gabriella’s romantic angst.” She rolled her eyes.

“It’s just a stupid movie. I’m promising you my _vagina_. That’s better than air.”

Louis flicked his eyes over her frame and then laughed.

"I've been thinking about you, baby. Take care of me." Then she pouted and leaned over a little.

“Fucking bye.” He said.

She made an offended face and stomped upstairs-presumably to go to her room.

After a long bout of silence and Troyella meeting at the same school, Rose finally said something.

“Louis if you do _not_ tell me why you are _still_ here-” Rose started and Louis sighed like the question was bothersome.

“I kind of got kicked out a little bit.” He said, and set his legs across my lap, leaning back. I flicked his ankle. He had nice ankles.

God, what is happening to me.

“Apparently it’s ‘rude’ to purposefully get people wet with pond water.” He said, shrugging.

I wasn’t even-

“ ** _Oh_**! I got this ball, though, before I was asked to leave.” He said, pulling out a pink putt ball seemingly out of nowhere.

Surprised. I wasn't even surprised.

He threw it at the back of Roses head and she turned away from the screen and glared at Louis. He held his hands up in innocence.

“ ** _Whoa_** , don’t look at me like that when Cecily’s the one who did it, love.”

**_Fucking asshole_ **

* * *

Louis crawled under the covers and poked me in the back to get my attention. I turned my head and peered at him.

“ _What_?” I asked, ready to doze off to sleep. He wrapped his arm around my waist and silently pulled us into a spooning position, his chest rising and falling with his breath, soothing me.

“I wouldn't peg you as a the cuddling type.” I murmured and he gently stroked patterns onto my stomach through the fabric of my shirt.

I turned around and looked at him, his blue eyes, his lips, his long hair.

He was absolutely gorgeous.

I hate him so much.

It- _he_ didn't make any sense.

He locked eyes with me and pushed his fingers in my hair and pulled my face his, pressing his mouth against mine. I groaned and he deepened the kiss, licking into my mouth, testing the waters. Soon we were both exploring each other’s mouths, Louis’ breathing becoming a little labored.

Or was it mine?

Louis groaned and pulled away, pressing his forehead against mine.

“I’ve _got_ to stop kissing you.” He murmured and I shook my head.

“What, why?” I murmured,his face inches from mine. I pressed my hand to his waist and he sighed. “I have to stop kissing you because i’m not sure I can physically handle your heat.” He said, kissing my nose.

“You’d rather stop kissing me altogether than ask for sex?” I asked, running my hands over his hips.

He scrunched his eyebrows together and looked genuinely offended. “M’sorry I forgot that I’m supposed to be _Lena’s fucking soul_. Of course i’d never pressure you-” I glared at him. “While that’s _swell_ , what about all those girls you were relentlessly _banging_ into my wall back home?” I asked, moving my hands up to rub them against the stubble on his jaw.

“Something had to distract me.” He mumbled.

“And all this time I thought you _liked_ it.” He said sarcastically, playing with my hair. “ _Honestly_ Cece, you have to learn that someone can be with you, and _want_ to be with you at the same time.”

I shivered.

“Why don’t you masturbate or something if you’re so ‘physically’ distressed?” I asked, making air quotes with my fingers.

“I do.”

I made a groaning noise at _that_ picture and Louis pressed his forehead against mine again. “I can’t _begin_ to explain to you how hard it is for a guy who has sex on a _consistent_ basis to survive in this kind of brutal environment . My self control is slipping.” His voice broke on the last pary and I shivered again, wanting him.

I always did.

Want him, I mean.

Who wouldn’t?

“What makes this environment so... _hard_?” I choked out the last part a lot. He smiled, his hair falling into his eyes, the blue brighter than the sun. He looked like the epitome of gorgeous.

“You.” He mumbled into my mouth, kissing me again, moving to straddle me.

Really he’s got to stop telling me stuff and then kissing me anyway I was getting whiplash.

I kissed him back and tugged at his shirt, and he sat up, pulling it off and throwing it to the floor, leaning back down to kiss me. I ran my fingers up and down his back, moaning when he leaned down to kiss my neck, sucking on the sweet spot there. My back arched from the contact and he made an approving noise, my fingers finding solace in his long hair.

After a long while of whatever the fuck that good shit was, both of us were pantsless and Louis had somehow lost my shirt, the air thick and heavy. He felt good against me.

Right, natural. Different than any of my partners before him had felt.

I needed to watch my step or I might trip and fall for him.

Our kissing had become a lot less romantic and intimate and a lot more needy and passionate. Louis had started grinding against me a long time ago. He pulled away from me for some air, his hips still moving, deeming me a hell of a lot speechless.

His blue eyes were dark, his pupils blown from lust, his mouth parted and his breathing a little labored.

I couldn't imagine what he’d look like if I told him to stop.

He sat up and put his fingers around the waistband of his boxers, pulling the fabric over his hips and down his thighs, his eyes on mine the entire time.

I couldn't look away from him even if Lena’s wardrobe was being ceremoniously burned right now.

He leaned back over me, pressing against the inside of my thigh, his hands on the side of my face, studying me.

“Are you _sure_? After this we’re together. _This_ -” He gestured to the two of us “Is a promise. This isn’t casual sex.”

God, I hope not.

“Yes, please just-” I moaned and he pressed a finger on my lips to shush me. “I need a condom first, love.”

I shook my head. “I’m on birth control. And clean. Please tell me you’re clean.” I mumbled and he nodded. “Was checked last tuesday,papers to prove.”

Was his talking necessary right now?

Then he kissed my forehead softly, a hand gripping my hip, the other hand pulling my underwear down my legs, gripping my thighs and parting them, licking into my mouth.

I gasped when he entered me, not used to his size, or really the feeling of _that_ in the first place. I mean, i’ve done it before, but it’s been… not like this. He let me adjust and then started moving, slowly. I moaned, the friction forcing me to close my eyes and grip Louis’ hair a little harder.

A _lot_ harder.

He settled into the crook of my neck as he built a rhythm up, his breathing become harder and labored.

“ _ **Fuck**_.” He moaned, a sound that rocked me straight to my core, that turned my whole world upside down. I thought I had been living until I heard that word escape his mouth, his voice broken and wrecked, scratchy and ruined.

I never wanted to live without that sound ever again.

After a countless amount of perfectly placed fingers and Louis covering my mouth to muffle my moans, I was coming undone like I’ve never before, a feeling that made me see white and- _fuck_ where those stars?

I vaguely noticed the sound of Louis recovering from his own high as I marveled at the absolute beauty of a proper orgasm.

I opened my eyes and Louis wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to him, resting his chin against the top of my head.

After a few minutes had passed and I had stopped breathing so heavily, I nuzzled my face into Louis’ chest.

“Did you say that you had a crush on me before the trip?” I croaked out. Louis stirred and whispered into my hair.

“Yeah, you were all quirky and smart and you called me a ‘leader of a brussel sprout cult’ and what lad  _wouldn't_  crush on that?”

“Number one, normal guys would _run_ from that.And number two, I’m still waiting for you to admit to me that you _do_ lead a brussel sprout cult. I’m onto you Tomlinson.” I said, and he sighed.

“Well you will be for a while. That kind of information is heavily classified, and  If I told you i’d have to-”

“Kill me?” I interrupted, distracted by the warmth under the covers.

“No. You’d have to give me your next meal.” I gasped.

That’s worse than death.

He felt nice, and I felt distracted, and more satisfied than I've ever felt in my  _life_. 

“Louis…”

“Hmm?” He practically purred, sounding as content as I felt.

“I've never, um-”

“Come before? Yeah, I can tell.”

How’d he know?

“Lou-” He rested his thumb next to my mouth and smiled at me. His eyes were still a little dilated, and that was very distracting.

“Cecily, love, you're so _loud_."

How is that even proof that i’ve never… did that.. thing before?

“yeah, but ho-”

He pressed the length of his body against mine and moved his mouth to my ear and whispered.

“Baby, you are _incredibly_  tight for someone who's not a virgin. Which means something is _severely_ lacking in your sex life.”

I shuddered and he kissed my forehead.

Then he started humming something I was too sleepy to recognize, and I drifted off to sleep.


	7. Green Stacks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY UP AYYYY

I woke up with Louis’ various limbs sprawled out on top of me. His leg was splayed over the covers and across my own legs, his arm was lying across my _fucking_ throat, and his side was attached to mine. I could hear him silently breathing next to me, deep in sleep.

Well I hope the slimy lampshade was fucking comfortable.

I looked at the clock and noticed that it was almost 9:15.

And quite frankly, I needed breakfast.

I mean, there was _actually_ a scent of bacon wafting sensually up the stairs and through the open door of my bedroom.

 _Wait_.

Open?

I panicked a little-okay, a _lot_ \- because Louis was definitely naked in my bed when we were supposed to _not_ be doing the hokey-pokey.

And we definitely did the hokey pokey.

I tried to shift, but since louis was pinning me to the bed, I gave up from pure laziness and decided to think about last night.

We had _sex_.

And it was the good.

Okay, better than good.

It was the goodest.

Okay, it was better than the goodest.

Okay, I was speechless.

No wonder I could hear girls screaming through my wall back in New York.

Then I remembered that my bedroom door was open and I started panicking again. I poked Louis repeatedly in the face until he cracked an eye open and focused in on me with his blue irises.

“You are waking me from my peaceful slumber, and I think that’s very _rude_.” He croaked out, his voice raw from sleep.

What.

“You have woken me up _countless_ times this entire week, so wouldn't that also make _you_ rude?” I asked and Louis stretched some,hitting me in the chin with his arm, and relaxed.

“Absolutely _not_ that wouldn’t make me rude.”

What a moldy bologna sandwich.

“Louis, please get off me I have to close the door.” I begged and Louis blinked slowly, sleep keeping the words from registering correctly.

“Door….?”

“The bedroom door is open for some reason, baby let me up.” I explained, pulling up my leg so that Louis’ would slide off my lap. He made a groaning noise and shifted off me. I got up and Louis’ arm reached out and grabbed my wrist.

I jumped a little and he rolled his eyes dramatically over my body, catching my eyes and giving me a look that sent tingles down my spine.

“What?” I asked,resisting the urge to cover myself.

“You're gorgeous.Especially after you've been thoroughly fucked.” He said bluntly and buried his head back into his pillow.

 _Louis_  was the one who looked gorgeous.

He had the covers draped over his body like how they do in movies and TV shows when they want the audience to know the character is naked, but didn't want to show the goods.

I resisted the urge to lean over and squeeze his ass.

“ _Wow, he has nice calves_ ” I thought instead, and pulled on some clothes, quickly walking to the door to close it when Lena appeared out of nowhere.

She _tsk_ ed and gave me a sly smile. “ _Wow_ , you are just a little slut aren't you?” She asked, peering around me to look at Louis’ sleeping form. Well, he wasn't really sleeping anymore, he was scrolling on his phone in the exact same spot he had been in earlier.

“Pardon?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

“Not _only_ did you have sex with your boyfriend, but you also had sex with your _fake_ boyfriend.” She made a disappointed face.I took a deep breath and stared at an invisible spot on the ceiling.

“Do you know the definition of slut? Or boyfriend?” I asked her and she glared at me. “Also your sentence didn't make any sense at all. Wouldn't that make _you_ a slut since you've slept with  _all_ of my boyfriends? Even the ones I hadn't yet?”

She opened her mouth to talk and I interrupted her before any sound could come out of her state salty goldfish of a mouth. 

"Also I hate you and you look like raw cabbage."

“I really hope that your dad didn't come by to see opening your sad little legs.” Then she gave a triumphant smile and walked away.

I had been primping in the bathroom when a loud banging sound came from the other side of the door and I sighed, walking over the cold tile and opening the offending item. Louis stood there in a black T-shirt that said “Aint nobody got time for that.” and red skinny jeans, sporting a pair of vans. He leaned against the doorway.

“It’s _9:50_ , and I’m _starving_ , so if you’d very politely hurry the fuck up…” He said, flipping his phone over and over in his hand from restlessness.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” I demanded, placing my hand on his chest and pushing past him to walk over to the-purposefully- opened door. Louis grabbed my wrist as it left his chest and turned me so that I was facing him.

He leaned in, inches from my mouth, and smirked.

“I never said what I was starved _for_.” He whispered, his pointer finger resting under my chin to force me to look into his eyes and his lips ghosting over mine.

I shivered.

Then he laughed.

“Just kidding, love. If I don't have coffee in my mouth in exactly three seconds, I probably won't let anyone talk to me. _Ever._ ”

Then he punched my shoulder playfully and strutted from the room.

* * *

I was standing in the middle of the kitchen with Rose, talking with her about her future. The wedding was in two days, and she was talking with excitement in her voice and giving loving looks at Xavier who was standing on the other side of the island next to Anthony-who was sitting down- and absently fiddling with a water bottle.

“Oh, my _perfectly cooked partridge,_ we are going to have at _least_ ten kids.” she said to my earlier question.

Which she had made a face at when I asked her.

Maybe because I had phrased the question “So Rose, how many lil shits do you plan to bake in your country crock pot?”

Xavier choked on his water a little bit at Rose’s answer. “I thought we were going to have 11 kids?”

Rose glared at him. “ _Xavier_ , honey. You know that I don't like uneven numbers around me.”

“Fine then, let’s have 12.” Then she beamed at him.

“Don’t you have 7 bridesmaids?” Louis asked, backing out of the refrigerator with two sodas and a bottle of hot sauce in his hands.

Rose took a deep breath and looked at Louis sharply, her eyes crossing a little bit from stress.

“You know, i’ve never really thought about that before now.” and then she started shaking a little and smiled at him, her eyes filled with crazy.

Xavier made an “Oh no” face and Rose spoke through her teeth.

“At… At 1:00 we are going to go look at the venue and get all the decorations and things in… place, okay? So if you go out, make sure you’re back so that you can follow us to the building.” And she shuddered and stiffly walked up the steps.

Xavier made a face at Louis and set his water bottle down, chanting a desperate “Rose!” and following her retreating form up the stairs.

Anthony gave Louis a disgusted look.

“Don’t you think that was a little rude, man?” Louis looked genuinely confused.

“What was rude, did I do something rude?” He set the sodas and the hot sauce down, raising his eyebrows.

“Dude you told Rose that she had an uneven amount of bridesmaids.”

Louis sighed and then looked at the hot sauce and back up again. “I have to go to the store.” he declared, and then promptly disappeared upstairs.

I watched him leave and Anthony put down his coffee cup loudly and looked at me.

“Why are you with that guy?” I was caught off guard by his question and quickly turned to meet his gaze.

“Oh, I don’t know… I mean he’s funny and he’s smart and this week alone i've done _so_ many things I would never have thought i'd doing, and also I fucking hate his guts so much.I can't imagine him not being around.” I said, leaning against the counter and staring at the stairs again.

“You know that makes no sense, right?” He got up and walked over to me, leaning in and resting his palms against the counter behind me on either side of my torso. “You never ‘hated’ me. I mean, you used to love me. It hasn't been that long since we separated. We can do this again.We could try again.”

I leaned as far away from him as possible since I was blocked in and sighed. “How come every conversation we've had this week is about our old relationship? Have you ever heard of interesting or useful conversation?” I asked and he at me with those sad, brown eyes.

“Because I don’t think that a guy like that could be good for you. Could be good for anyone.”

“What- exactly is so bad about Louis?” I asked, crossing my arms, knowing  _exactly_ what was so bad about Louis.

I mean, c'mon.

“He has no sophistication.”

I laughed.

“You're right. But it doesn't stop me from liking him a lot, so you can bippity boppity boo away from me.” I said and he didn't move at all, just sighed again.

“This man is going to get you _nowhere_. Does he even have a job to support you? _I_ can support you.”

I never really thought about him having a job.

I guess I just assumed he was busy leading a brussel sprout cult and had a second job in being a wilted quilt or maybe a crispy pillow case or something of the like.

“I’m… sure he has a job.”

“You don’t even _know_ if he has an occupation?”

“You know, I try not to be all up in his bag of chips, you know, yeah.” I said weakly and he looked at me like I was stupid.

Then there was a slender finger tapping on his shoulder, and he turned around.

“ _What_?” Anthony asked irritably. I squeezed out from between him and the counter, standing next to Louis.

“Hey, so I have a question.”

 _“Wh-”_ Anthony was cut off by Louis.

“Why the fuck were you near my girlfriend, mate?”

“Because w-”

“I’m sorry, you didn't answer my question.” Louis interrupted.

“I was-”

“ ** _Mate_**. Please stop talking. I need to go somewhere, and your constant dribble is distracting me.”

Then Louis took my hand and pulled me out the door and across the front yard to the car.

I glanced at him once he had managed to shove me in the car- the passenger’s seat I noticed- and opened the driver’s side and got in.

“Lou, what was that about?” I asked, looking at him.

“He was touching you.” He said, starting the car up.

“No he wasn’t. You're just a jealous fuck.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Louis, one time during dinner he said words to someone that  _wasn't_  me and you glared at him.”

“He breathed in your direction, I resent that.”

* * *

We were in the mall looking around for… I didn't even know what, actually.

What I _did_  know was that we had been here for at least 30 minutes and _still_ hadn't found whatever it was Louis had been so desperately searching for.

“Maybe it’s in here.” He said, walking briskly into a shoe shop.

“Are you going to inform me as to what we are looking for, exactly?”

He raised his eyebrows at me and pulled out his cell.

“You ask a lot of questions.  _These._ ” He held up his phone with a picture of a pair of plain red platform shoes and started scanning the store for them.

“Okay, but why?” I asked a few minutes after I realised he wasn't going to elaborate.

“I don’t understand your confusion. It’s pretty straightforward.”

“Okay, but… it’s not.”

Louis groaned in defeat and turned away from the store, walking down the wide corridor filled with people and a variety of shops. He stopped in front of a store that specialized in selling candy and squealed, walking inside and looking around.

I followed him inside because  _fuck yeah, candy._

The room had a glass case running from one side of the entrance and wrapping around the room to end on the other side of the entrance, the case filled to the brim with different candies, in an assortment of color.

This was a new store because I don't remember coming in this mall and ever feeling so desperate to buy something.

I was in fucking heaven.

I checked my pocket and realized I had left my wallet at home.

And maybe I screamed “Well, _fuck_!” a little loudly, and a nice dark-skinned woman standing by the whoppers made an offended face and covered her child’s ears, shuffling as quickly as possible out of the store.

I thought I heard a voice saying “We’ll get you some candy after the psychopath goes home, Billy.” fading from behind me.

When I looked up from staring sensually at the take 5’s lying innocently in the case, -begging to be shoved down my throat- Louis was already at the cash register, purchasing something.

I walked deeper into the store, next to Louis and looked at the black screen on the register, blinking.

Because if I blinked, maybe the price would morph into something affordable.

The price was 50.69 cents.

There were two huge bags of assorted candy sitting on the counter next to the register, taunting me with it’s sad song of sweetness and awesomeness and cavities.

“If you think for two seconds that i’m sharing _any_ of this with you, you have never been more wrong in your life.” Louis said to me, pulling out his wallet and handing a debit card to the lady.

“But please get your own bag if you’d like. I’ll pay for it.” he continued.

The lady made an annoyed face because I was forcing her to do her job again.

It was probably too much of a strain on her lifestyle or something.

A few minutes later Louis was handing her cash to pay for my substantially cheaper bag of candy and we were leaving the shop, Louis heaving both bags into a larger shopping bag so that it’d be easier to carry.

“Don’t you think you’ll catch a heart attack from that much candy?”

“In case you haven't noticed, one bag is full of sweets that only old people and vegans would ever put into their bodies.”

“But... _why_ do you have a bag of reject candy?" I asked, leaning into his side. He wrapped his arm around my waist immediately, despite the growing difficulty to walk from us both being attached to each other.

“So many _questions_ today. So you know how Rose is giving her wedding party and stuff a parting gift at the rehearsal? Well, when I was apologizing to her earlier, she mentioned that she hadn’t finished making them up, and told me that if I wanted her complete forgiveness I was to finish putting the sweets into the parting gift bags. So i’m going to switch out all the sweets that are already there with the crusty old people shit.”

I didn't question it.

"Just as long as you let me have some."

"I've got  _way_ better tasting things for you to have."

 _**Fucking asshole** _ **.**

Next, Louis managed to spot another store. this one had a lot of racy clothes in it, hanging from the racks.

He ventured inside while muttering “If _I_ was trying to jump on every dick around I'd shop here.”

The store had a small section in the back with a huge shelf on them, full of shoes. Most of them high heeled and leopard printed.

Louis had me scanning the shelves for the shoes and I had found one that was similar, but it had pink cheetah print sequins down the sides. I turned around and held them up at Louis, who smirked and reached over, plucking something off a rack.

It was a short vinyl zebra print dress that had the word “Juicy” scrawled in bright red across the chest. Louis flipped it around and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at me because of the back, which had the words “Busted” In bright blue lettering on the ass of dress.

I mouthed “ _perfect_.” at him and licking my finger, poking it in the air and made a "tsssss" sound. Then I turned around to continue my work.

 _Oh, boy_! Was what I thought when I found them, turning back around and holding them up triumphantly in the air, doing a little dance.

It sort of sent me off balance and I promptly fell -probably majestically- to the carpeted floor.

I stared at the ceiling, the shoes dangling from my fingers and sighed.

Louis leaned over into my line of vision and held out his hand, pulling me to my feet.

I had fallen against his chest on the way up and he looked down at me with soft, beautiful eyes, giving a slight smile. He opened his mouth to say something when I heard an alien voice.

“Ma’am? You’ll have to pay for that, you know.”

I looked away from Louis and saw that I had knocked over at least three boxes of high heeled shoes and about seven or eight tops to the floor.

“Wait… it’s not like I _broke_ this stuff, can’t you just dust it off and put them back on the racks and stuff? No one will ever know.”

I said, staring at the mess my damned happy dancing had made.

The lady had a tight leather skirt and some attitude on, and was giving me a glare that could easily rival the pink guacamole's that was my boyfriend.

“You have to pay for it. Store policy.”

“ _Okay_ , but are we not going to discuss the fact that your store policy is actually the most illogical idea or…?” I answered, picking up a box and some shoes and putting them back inside, placing the container on the shelf.

“See, no one who comes in is going to say ‘Oh my god this shoe touched the ground like every shoe ever does at some point in its life! I'm _so_ offended, I think i'll  _never_  come back.’” I continued.

She looked unamused.

“You have to pay for it.”

“ _Okay_ , right but like, if it touching the ground means I have to pay for it, then how come someone can try it on and it I be store policy for them to buy it?”

“I don’t understand why you’re giving me attitude. You have to pay for it.” She said.

"Well, in that case, I'm just  _trying on_ all of these clothes, so there's no reason to charge me unfairly." I commented.

"You. Have. To. Pay." and she retreated back to her spot behind the cash register.

“Louis, the shoes you were trying to buy in the first place were 60 bucks! I can't buy 6 tops and 3 of the same pair."

"We’re going to have to run.” I said, scanning the length from here to the door, and the crowd to plan out how we were going to run from here.

Even if I had my wallet I wouldn’t be able to afford this stuff. My budget for this trip so that I wouldn’t starve when I got home was 10 dollars.

This was more than 10 dollars.

“What? We're not running.” Louis declared and I glared at him.

“I am asking you for something _simple_.” I said and he sighed.

“I’ll pay for it, love.” He said, gathering up the things that had fallen and holding them in his arms, leaving me to hold the shoes he was originally going to buy.

“What, Louis this is over _200_ -”

“ _Shut up_ , I got this.”

“I can’t pay you back-”

He cut me off with a glare and started moving to the front of the store,throwing all the garments onto the counter and the lady rung up all the stuff, the total coming out to 245.76 dollars.

I clasped my chest and screamed a startled “ _Oh my god_!” then I turned to louis who was handing her his card as if it didn’t faze him in the least.

“We should’ve run.” I said and he snorted, shoving the bags at me and walking out.

No, _wait_.

I wrapped my hand around his tattood- _hard_ , oh jesus- bicep to stop him from moving any further.

“How did you pay for that?”

“With a debit card.”

“Look here, you lil sideways door handle-”

Louis spotted a store he liked and made a keening noise, ignoring my question and running inside.

* * *

“ _Louis_.”

“ _I can’t go faster_!” He complained.

“Lou I need you to get us there. _Now_.”

“Well, you’re the one who said we wouldn't be late!” Louis exclaimed, his hands on the steering wheel and his foot on the gas.

That little bitch needed to put the peddle to the meddle.

“ _Fuckin-_ You’re the shavings that fall out of a pencil sharpener!” I exclaimed.

“Well that was downright rude.”

We had about 20 minutes to get back to the house before we were supposed to leave to go to the venue, and the trip was an even 15 minutes in the _first_ place.

So basically if he didn't drive at least 70 miles faster, we were going to be late.

“Are you going to tell me how a 'boring' desk job allows you to have enough money to spend more than _300_ dollars in two days without batting an eyelash?”

“You know, most people would say you're a messy, nosy avocado pit if they were asked that question.” He replied, hinting at no other answer.

After we almost hit a tree and Louis had screamed a loud “ _Fucking_ speed limit!” and we avoided at least three different police cars, Louis turned into the driveway and parked,-5 minutes early- grabbing the bags from the back seat and opening the door for me.

I slipped out and leaned against the car, crossing my arms and refusing to follow him into the house until he answered my question.

It didn't make sense. Where I lived was one of the cheapest apartments around, and it was _New York_. I had a nice paying job and I was _still_ struggling with rent and food. Yet someone who lived next door to me had no trouble spending 300 bucks on a vacation he didn't know about until a week in advance?

I guess you could call me curious. And a little jealous.

“Are you a pimp?”

“What, _Cece_ \- no- do I look purple enough to be a pimp?”

“Do people slide money under your door for no reason?”

“N-”

“Are you funneling money from your fellow brussel sprouts?" He shushed me with a look and sighed.

“ _Look_. I’m just sort of the CEO of Kellogg and own a few… other companies and have high stock on a couple… more and i’m sort of-”

“ _Filthy rich_?” I interrupted, shocked.

“Yeah. One of the youngest billionaires on the planet…”

I choked.

“ _Billionaire_?”

“Yah. I didn’t... I didn’t tell you when we came here because I wanted you to see me as me, you know… not as a guy with a shit ton of green stacks.”

“Did you just say green stacks?”

Louis shoved his fingers through his hair and gave me a crooked smile. “Do you not… _care_ that i’m rich or something?”

I scoffed. “Of course I fucking _care_ , Lou. I mean, I cannot _wait_ to shove the fact that you’re smart enough to be rolling in it in Anthony’s face. And to slap Lena in the teeth with your perfection.”

And maybe a raw fish.

“Although… you did say you had a ‘boring desk job’ or some fake ass shit like that.” I continued.

“Yeah… well my job _is_ boring. And there's a desk involved. Just on the... top floor.”

Someone screamed a loud “Oh thank _god_ , they're here!”

And I moved away from Louis, patting his arm as I passed him, walking up to the door.

* * *

We were standing in the middle of a huge empty building with round, undecorated tables evenly spaced throughout the space and I was turning in a circle, trying to see all of it.

Anthony was standing next to me with Louis on the other side -shooting casual glares in his direction- and Rose was standing in front of us holding Xavier’s hand, speaking. She was wearing a bright yellow sundress with flowers decorated on it and a huge hat with a bow wrapped around. She looked just like the country belle she was.

“As you _lovely_ bunch of people can see, the tables and chairs are already here, and all we need to do is…decorate!” and she dropped Xavier’s hand to clap and jump up and down, pointing to the boxes upon _boxes_ of decorations sitting near the door.

“Everyone grab a box and get to work.” She said, and promptly picked up her own container and moved to a table far away, beginning her decorating.

I glanced at Louis and picked up a box labeled “Table three.”

It had a bunch of things inside it like a tablecloth and bows and such. Louis caught up to me trying to choose which table was “table three” since there were 14 tables, 7 tables in each row, and I didn't know which row the tables started being numbered.

He was holding a box that also said “Table three” But his had vases and fake flowers.I figured those were the centerpieces.

“Lou, help me with this table cloth.” I said, putting the box on the floor and pulling out the neon orange table cloth, cut in a round shape to fit the table. I turned around and accidentally ran into Louis, making a startled “oof” sound when I hit his chest.

I groaned and pulled back, glaring at him.

“I’ll help you if you never stop bending over.” He said and I rolled my eyes.

“I should be saying the same about you, ass boy.”

He took the other end of the cloth and helped me spread it out.

After we had placed all the decorations on the table, we stood back -next to each other-and Louis made a face. \

“This is… not... good. In fact, it's quite _bad_ , innit?” He declared and I pushed a finger against his mouth to shush him.

The table had that neon orange tablecloth on it with a huge centerpiece that was a ginormous glass vase filled with those marbles and pink flowers Rose had been desperately searching for. The chairs had pink lace wrapped around them.

Ew.

Lena was walking with Rose-probably telling her about how the weather feels down in the deepest pits of hell-when they stopped in front of us.

“I have to look at the table to make sure it doesn’t look as if an armadillo name Roger pooped on it.” Rose said, scanning the table and chair set.

“I think it’s too late for that.” Louis whispered under his breath as Lena wrapped her hand around his bicep and smiled.

“ _Louis_?” She asked, her voice dripping in honey.

Since he didn’t answer, she continued.

“Can you help _me_ with _my_ table? I can’t do it all by myself.” She said, leaning her body into him and giving another smile.

That’s when Anthony shuffled up, a pair of scissors in his hand and a confused look on his face. “I need help, can someone help me?” he looked desperately at the group of people standing in front of him.

Oh, god he really _did_ need help.

The table he was stationed at had things splayed out all over with no visible organization at _all_. I sighed, locking arms with him and walked him over to his table. “I’ll help you, Ant.”

Once I saw the pitiful excuse for decorating up close, I made a choking sound and starting setting things upright, laughing.

“Don’t _laugh_ at me, Cece I did my best.” He murmered in dissapointment, moving some things out of my way.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” I lied, and smiled at him.

He moved to the opposite side of the table from me, facing the place that we had left Louis and the gang, and straightened a paper heart out.

“He’s _rich_.” I blurted out, and then covered my mouth from surprise.

“What?”

“He’s… rich. He told me today that he’s _loaded_.” I explained.

Anthony laughed and stood up straight, dropping his hands to his side.

After I gave him a glare for laughing at me, he gave me a serious look. “I’m sorry, it’s just… and you _believed_ him? A weird boy with no job who lives in your apartment complex told you that he’s rich and you fell for it?”

“Well thanks for your support.” I said.

“Come on, it just doesn’t make any sense. He probably told you that so that you’d stay with him.”

“Do you _actually_ think I’m a horrible person or something? I’m not in it for the money. I like him. I wanted him when I thought he was some poor brussel sprout cult leader who lived next door and had too _way_ too much sex.” I straightened up and gave him a terse look. “Although, I still think all of that except for the ‘poor’ part.”

“‘Brussel sprout cult leader’? Don’t you think that’s really weird to think or say?” He asked, giving me a strange look. “I worry about you. I mean, you say weird stuff sometimes.”

I don’t say weird stuff.

“I don’t say weird stuff.” I said and he shook his head at me.

“It was like the only thing I hated about or relationship. I mean, you were funny, but sometimes you’d say crazy stuff like that, and it didn’t make any sense.”

“Well, I didn’t know that…” I said, thinking back. It was true, whenever i’d say things like that he’d make a face and ignore what I had said, moving on to a different topic.

“Yeah. I still miss you, though.” He said and I stared straight at him.

“You cheated on me with Lena.”

“That was _one_ time, a _long_ time ago. Back when we first started dating. And it was Lena. I didn’t love her. Not like I loved- _love_ you.” I scoffed and threw a ball of paper at him, walking away and venturing into the venue’s bathroom for some peace.

 _Well, that peace was short lived_. I though once I walked inside.

Louis was standing in front of a mirror, pulling at a piece of that paper streamer stuff that came in the rolls at the dollar stores.

It was wrapped lososely around his neck.

Actually, some was in his hair too, the rest wrapped loosely around his _entire_ body. He looked like a pink mummy.

“Um… Lou?”

“ _Hey_! Could you help me with this?” He asked, gesturing at his situation.

I walked up to him and ripped a piece off the was wrapped around his torso and looked at him.

“Why are you-”

“In the ladies’ restroom? Because it smells better.” He reached down and ripped a piece off the was wrapped tightly around his right leg and I sighed, tearing off the piece around his neck with a loud “ripping” sound.

After we had managed to get all the stuff off him he gave me a thank you and held up the discards, saying something about “Always use the leftovers.” and walked out of the bathroom.

* * *

I walked in and closed the door behind us, taking off my shoes and throwing them as far away from me as possible, because they were dress shoes that Rose let me borrow, stating that I wasn't allowed to 'dress atrociously' around her.

Louis turned around and raised his eyebrows at me.

“Why do… why do you live in the apartment building that you do if you're filthy rich?” I asked and he shoved his fingers through his hair and shrugged.

“I figured that it would add a little challenge if I lived a more _humble_ life. I have a house in the Iris that I use for company meetings and when my parents visit. I used to stay there until I moved into the apartments.”

“You have a _back up_ house?” I asked, and he nodded.

“Completely paid off.”

He walked closer to me, his face leaning in close to mine.

“Now on to more important things. What were you and lamethony talking about earlier?”

“You know-” I said, backing into the wall next to the door. “Just… about me.” I said truthfully, putting my hands up to press my palms against his stomach, clutching his shirt in my fists.

“What about you?” He asked, his face inches from mine now, his bright blue eyes drilling into mine, full of jealousy and-

Oh _shit._

Was that lust?

I breathed him in and gave a faltered smile.

“Just abo-”

“Why I oughta...” Louis said half-heartedly, staring at my lips and leaning in, pressing his mouth to mine. I made a slight moaning sound and he responded by pinning me to the wall, kissing me.

Then I pulled away and shook my head. “Please don’t oughta him, he means well.”

“Oh, _please_ he’s trying to steal you from me.”

“Louis, why did we have to get those shoes today?” He smirked.

“Don't change the subject.” He whispered, then he kissed me again, this time more serious.More in depth.

Louis reached down and unbuckled my jeans, whispering something into my neck that I couldn't distinguish because his fingers were suddenly rubbing against me through my panties.

I made a gasping sound and pulled off his shirt.

He went back to kissing me on the mouth, pressing me hard against the wall and grinding down, making a small high pitch noise when his member rubbed against me.

He pulled off my jeans and panties, pushing his fingers in until I took a shaky breath and softly kissed me.

Wow, oh _god_.

I managed to peel off his underwear and jeans too, and soon he was picking me up-somehow- and pushing me against the wall for leverage, his breathing faltering when he pushed inside of me, his face buried into my neck as we both moaned and he started moving, picking up speed with every hitching breath.

He wrapped his arms around me and walked us over to the bed, settling us onto the pillows and pulling back to run his fingers over my stomach, my eyes shifting over his body and reveling in what exactly was happening right now.

He leaned back over and kissed me, his pace picking up again, my breath getting ragged from the delicious friction. I ran my fingers over his back, encouraging him to go faster, and he did.

Oh,  _Jesus_ he did.

He reached down between us, kissing my mouth desperately and rubbed at my sensitive spot, resting his head in the crook of my neck, breathing irregularly and moaning quietly.

A _lot_ , really.

It was almost distracting.

He covered his mouth with mine as we came, and I closed my eyes, breathing hard as he rolled off me and onto his back, pulling me onto his chest.

“We _have_ to stop breaking the rules.” I croaked out a few minutes later, after Louis’ breathing had become more regular.

“Don't you know it's rude to talk blaspheme?” He whispered, running his fingers over my back and humming as I started falling asleep.

“Why do I feel like you haven’t ‘wrecked’ me like you said you could do to Lena?” I murmured, the feeling of contentment and warmness having washed over me, something close to elation.

Right before I fell asleep I heard Louis’ wrecked voice.

God, was it always so _raspy_ and shit after sex?

God, did I _ever_ have to stop hearing it?

Then what he said registered in my mind.

“Because you're too fucking _loud_ for me to wreck you, babe.”

_**Fucking asshole** _


	8. A little less horny, a little more marry me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh, sorry I haven't updated in a while

I groaned-it sort of sounded more like a complaining whine- and opened my eyes.

When I managed to furiously blink out the blurry vision that only sleep can give you,the first thing  I saw was a flat stomach and then the edge of a comforter, and slowly realised that I had been sleeping on Louis’ chest.

I guess that would explain a lot of things.

I pulled my head up, hovering over his chest, and focused on Louis, who was still asleep. He was gorgeous, with a slight stubble growing on his chin and his long eyelashes, his chest rising and falling slowly from sleep.

I mumbled to myself something about how much I hated his guts and that he should be illegal.

I’m pretty sure I had been staring at him for a good five minutes.

Was that creepy?

I was also surprised because I had woken up before him- and that seems to rarely happen- and also a bit excited to gloat to him about how I woke up before he did, and maybe tell him he was the master of a poop hill or something when he wakes up.

Louis stirred, his breathing becoming less sleep-induced, and after a few seconds he opened his eyes and focused on me, a sleepy smile playing at his lips.

I definitely hate him.

“ _Morning._ ” He said, his voice thick and scratchy from sleep, but he sounded really _happy_ when he said it, like a person waking up on his chest in the mornings is the only thing he ever wants from life.

“I woke up before you did, you fucking king of the hill.”

“That wasn't your bes-”

“That is composed entirely of poop and Lena’s ambitions.” I finished.

“Aren’t those the same things?”

“I don’t understand why you’re tearing me down, Louis.”

He smirked and lifted his hand to trace his fingers around my lips.

“What are we doing today?” He asked, his crisp blue eyes flicking up to meet mine.

You’d think maybe they’d be less vibrant.

You know,since he just woke up.

You know, a way to give a girl some kind of break.

“I-we’re…. um-” I had lost my train of thought from having been distracted by louis running his finger lightly down my spine.

“Spit it out, then.” He reminded me, rolling his finger back up.

I shivered and did my best to glare at him.

“The… _fuck_ , the rehearsal is tonight.” I murmured, pushing off him and scooting over to the edge of the bed over on my side to escape his bombardment of beauty and lust.

“Don’t be a poor sport.” He said, poking his bottom lip out and giving me a disappointed look. I threw him a well-used finger and got off the bed, accidently catching my leg in a rogue piece of cover on the way down.

And I tumbled towards the floor.

The wood against my body was actually freezing cold, and if I wasn't such a warrior princess I might’ve shed a small tear at the stinging sensation of cold morning floor and relentless air-conditioning.

I groaned and turned over, wincing at the blistering cold that had moved to my back once I settled. I lifted my head and noticed I could reach some of the cover from here, so I blindly grabbed for some and took the soft- _warm_ \- cloth into my hand and pulled as hard as I could, managing to shift the rest of it on top of me, hoping it would cut back on the ice castle I was now living on top of.

It did not help.

But at least I knew that I had pulled it off of Louis, and now _he_  was living in the snow storm that was the thermostat my mother refused to let anyone touch.

Speaking of the spoiled jar of mayonnaise, he peaked his head out from the edge of the bed and glared at me.

“I was _using_ that cover.”

“I didn't _see_ you using it.” I murmured, resting my head against the cold floor and staring at the ceiling, pondering over what caused me to be such a failure in the world.

I felt a pulling at my feet and lifted up on my elbows to find the source of the tyranny.

It was Lou- of _course_ \- pulling at the covers on my feet, trying to tug them away from me. Half of his torso was off of the bed in his feeble attempt at getting the warmth back.

My jaw dropped open, amazed that he would even try.

“Ex _cuse_ me, but are you trying to get a fucking slap?” I asked, and Louis just raised his eyebrows and went back to work, managing to pull some of the cover away.

“Fight me.” He said and I grabbed at my cover and pulled- with vengeance in my heart and frostbite on my spine- on it, and it didn’t budge.

Like, at all.

“Show off.” I murmured and he laughed.

“I’ll show you show off, love.” He said, and reached to grab the cover over my stomach.

But he over-reached and sort of toppled off the bed himself, the bottom half of his body still draped over the bed.

I pointed at him and laughed.

“You’re such a clumsy _fuck_!” I declared, and he made a groaning noise and let the rest of his body slide to the floor, defeated. He crawled up next to me and rested on his back too, shivering a little at the cold and giving me a discouraged look.

“I don’t know why you’re trying to beat me at my own game.” I commented off hand and he laughed and then groaned.

“This floor is really cold.”

I shrugged.

“You’re just a wussy baby that collects garbage cans full of you for a living.” I said.

“Did you just call me a wussy baby trash collector?”

I nodded and suddenly he was straddling me, attempting to get the covers again.

God, he was so incessant.

And also stupid because I had managed to tuck some of the cover underneath me so that any of his future theft plans could be thwarted.

I just smirked at him as he leaned over and placed his palms on either side of my head, his mouth inches from mine and his eyes burning with a fiery vengeance that made me a little warm.

This feeling was good, because my back was still cold.

And also bad, bad, bad because he looked  _really_ deliscious.

“Give me the blanket.”

“Ooh, so scary. Is that all you got?”

“I’ll tell Rose that you switched out the candies.”

I smirked.

“Oh, _please._  Do you _really_ think she’ll fall for that?”

“Fine. I’ll break your mom’s lamps and tell her you tripped over a rogue piece of air and fell into it.”

“Cute.” I said snarkily and flicked his chin, smirking, even though I truly hoped that was a bluff because my mom _would_ believe that.

Also, Louis looked a little angry, the kind that was endearing but also a little bit scary.

There was a short pause, and then Louis leaned down and kissed me.

I tried not to show that I was really,

Very,

Super flustered.

“Nice tr-” He cut me off with a genuine kiss this time, his mouth silencing me, distracting me from the fact that the floor was still 700 below, or that he was the worst case of Knucklehead Mcspazatron in all the 7 seas.

The kiss got more heated, and he hooked a finger under the edge of the blanket to pull it down between us.

I slapped his wrist away.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to, Mr.Lame face.”

“Trying to get into your pants?” He moaned against my mouth, kissing me again.

I shoved my palm between our faces, violently ripping his mouth off mine and glared at him.

“ _No_ , trying to get into my comforter.”

“Wow, you have a one track mind.”

Then there was a knock on my door, and I yelped out a loud “ _Coming_!” And nudged at Louis to let me up. When I managed to find clothes and had checked that Louis at least had underwear on or something that wasn't naked body, I walked to the door.

As I opened it, Louis leaned on the wall next to the door frame and mumbled something that sounded along the lines of “ _I’m_ not coming.”

I chose to ignore it since it was obvious that I wasn’t supposed to hear in the first place, and looked at the person standing on the other side of the door.

It was my mom and dad.

 ** _Wow_** , both of them okay.

“Honey, we heard a huge bumping noise from downstairs and I remember what happened to you in that shoe store last year, an-”

“ _Mother_! We agreed not to talk about the shoe store incident- _ever_ \- and on top of that, why would  _both_ of you need to be here to ask me about this?"

My mom blanched and then perked up and looked behind her, towards the kitchen downstairs.

“You know what? I think maybe thats the peach and raspberry cobbler I was making, don’t you smell it burning?” and practically sprinted away.

Fucking baby's bottom.

“Well, _I_ came up here to make sure you two were staying appropriate.” My dad said, crossing his arms.

“Seriously?”

My dad glared at me as if he had every right to control what I do and then sighed.

“So you’re telling me that you fell without-” He then turned his parental glare towards Louis- “ _Any_ cause for concern?”

“Yes, and I would think me falling in the _first_ place would be a cause for concern.”

“It’s not much of a concern because you have a hard head.” And he brought up his fist and lightly tapped the side of my face, giving me a loving smile. “I’m going to go check on your mom because she was never _actually_ making any cobbler.”

“Hey, come down to breakfast soon, it’s almost 10.” He called over his shoulder as he walked away. I called back an agreement and shut the door.

Louis was on me in seconds, pinning me against the door. I made an “mmph” noise when I hit the wood and barely even had time to call him a shit head before he was kissing me.

“We’re going to have to finish this, love.” He said, giving me a full body scan and then smiling.

“ _What_? Louis we have… 10 minutes to get downstairs.” I said and he nodded in agreement.

“I just...don’t _care_.” And leaned in to kiss me again. I put a finger to his lips before he had a chance to make my knees weak and sighed.

“Lou, now we have _9_ minutes.”

His hand wrapped around my wrist and his eyes met mine, swimming with lust and determination.

 _ **Wow** ,_ **_oh god._**

It was the _hottest_ thing.

My knees got weak, despite my earlier attempts. He was downright predatory.

“ _Fuck_ Lou, we can’t.” I groaned and he rolled his eyes and dropped my wrist, looking a lot like he had when he lost the blanket battle.

“Well _fuck_ me, i’m going to be horny all day.” He complained.

“I can’t, baby.” I said and snickered at my joke, opening the door and skipping out into the hallway.

“I hope you trip and fall into a garbage truck.” He called behind me.

* * *

“I’m going out.” Lena said, shooting me a middle finger behind her back as she slithered away from the kitchen, fluidly walking out the door.

We had all been sitting at the breakfast table, and I had a huge piece of pancake on the way to my mouth, aggressively dripping syrup onto a paper plate on the table, and Louis was sitting next to me tracing patterns onto the wood using the sticky liquid as paint. My father had already scraped up from the table to go to work, and my mom was upstairs doing something or other- probably watching TV - so the only people who got to watch Lena leave was really everyone cool.

Except for Lena, of course.

Because Lena is lame.

And crunchity.

“We have a rehearsal later today, ladies and gentlemen. And I’m going to need food and stuff for us to cook tonight because the whole family is gonna be here. In other words, whose gonna go to the store for me?” Rose’s voice was sugary sweet at the last part when she pulled a shopping list that was stapled together out of her purse and smiled at the left over members at the table.

“Baby, I can’t because i’m helping you finish the gift bags for the wedding.” She nodded at Xavier to let him know that he was safe from the game of death.

“You know… I have to help Lena do something” Anthony said quickly and Rose looked taken aback.

“What, are you gonna do, help her tramp around like she’s from some kind of disney movie?” Rose asked and he shook his head.

“No, it’s just… a thing.”

“Well that leaves Louis and Cecily. Who's gonna help me out?”

I shook my head vigorously as Louis gave her a choice set of words that included the words “chicken fucker” and a middle finger.

“Well, I guess the both of you will do it- here.” She said, and handed us the pamphlet of produce.

“You should start now so that you can finish by….. 4 o'clock, okay?” She asked nicely and we gaped at her.

“What time?”

She gave me a stern look and then smiled, standing up from the table,giving Louis a disgusted look when she saw what picture he had made with the syrup and walked upstairs, Xavier following her.

* * *

“I thought it was creative genius.” He said when we stepped up to the sliding glass doors of the multi-purpose store, the doors making a nice “whooshing” sound as it opened, a burst of cool, conditioned air wrapping around me like a fucking breath.

He was referring to his maple picasso from earlier that he hadn't bothered to clean up.

“Don’t quit your day job.” I said, stepping into the cool air, wiping my brow as soon as I was settled in the lobby of the store.

"If I quit my day job I think I would be able to sustain myself for a while." He commented offhand.

I continued into the store and Louis grabbed a cart.

“Do you really think we have enough buggies?” L asked, peering at the cart thoughtfully.

“We are not even _married_  yet and you’re already nagging me.” Louis complained.

After a good 30 minutes of throwing things into the cart, Louis picked up a bottle of miracle whip and raised his eyebrows at me.

“Louis, why do you need mayonnaise?”

“Get with the _program_ , Boyle! We switch out Lena’s lotion with-” he shook the bottle around to emphasize his point. “Miracle whip.” He smirked. “The wicked witch of the western hemisphere will never know what hit her.”

“...That’s nasty. Put it in the cart.”

"And miracle whip isn't mayonnaise" He corrected.

We walked down the refrigerated juice aisle after having checked off a few of the items on the list and I noticed some of the other drinks that were on the list and reached for them.

Louis made an appreciative noise at me stretching.

"Damn, baby lemme taste your juicy juice." Louis whispered in my ear once I was l was leaning over the cart to check the list.

He had his hands on my waist and was whispering pretty nasty things in my ear to distract me from counting when I saw  _it_.

That beautiful brand of apple juice, just sitting there next to the other, more insignificant drinks, begging me to grab it.

I moved out of Louis' embrace and did just that, throwing it in the cart and giving a happy smile.

“Cece… apple juice isn’t on the list. I mean, i’m looking for it and it just isn’t there.”

I threw Louis a cold glare. “I know what’s on the list.”

“Well, obviously _not_ because you got apple juice when apple juice isn't, in fact,on the list.”

“Louis.”

“It’s no-”

“Do you want me take your _dick_ and juice _that_? Because I will fuck you up, Louis, don’t test me.”

An old lady dressed in a nice outfit and hunched over with a cane, shaking slightly who was standing next to me browsing the various cheeses gave me a weird look.

“Well, that is very _rude_ young lady.” Then she turned to Louis with a disapproving glance. “I don’t think that you should continue being around this woman if she treats you this way over a simple beverage, young man.”

“Fuck _off_ , grandma.” I said, grabbing another bottle of apple juice and ceremoniously throwing that in the cart too.

The old lady made an offended huffing noise at me and shuffled off, shaking her head as she muttered to herself.

I’ll show her a simple beverage.

It’s fucking _Apple_  juice what does she think this is?

Louis raised his eyebrows at me. “Maybe that gran was right. I should run away with her.”

“ _Granny fucker_.”

"I’m just a man looking for a woman who will support me!” He called as I drove the cart away from him and down a seperate aisle.

After a good hour of me trying to convince Louis that he, in fact, had the capability to drive a cart, I pushed the offending item down the checkout aisle and started putting stuff onto the leather belt.

Louis was leaning against the handle of the cart, his elbows on the little bar that you're supposed to hold on to, and his chin resting in his palm, his fingers tapping against his cheek.

“Does it _really_ take this _long_ , babe?” Louis complained.

“You know, it would take less time if you’d help me out.”

“I _am_ helping. I put that grapefruit right there." He pointed at a spot on the leather belt where a small grapefruit resided. "Didn't you see me?”

“Thanks, Lou.”

“You’re welcome. And next time you choose to berate me, please get your facts straight.”

I gave the cashier the same look that parents give cashiers when their children are acting up, and I managed to get the rest of the food on the belt, back into the cart, into the car, and into the house.

Louis helped me get the food into the house, though, probably because Rose was watching, and she threatened to punch him in the “Noose gnarls if you don’t help your girlfriend, you herky jerky”.

When I got upstairs I noticed that Louis had definitely _not_ followed me into the bedroom, but in fact was pretty much MIA.

I called out “Lou?”

As if he’d be able to hear me or something, and gave a slight shrug, walking over to the door and pressing my palm against it, preparing to close it.

As soon as I gave a slight amount of pressure, though, there was a more hardcore pressure on the other side, and next thing I know I was sprawled out on the floor with Louis on top of me, the door wide open, and my head feeling like the place where death cultivated his children and murdered his victims.

I groaned. “ _Louis_.” I complained, and he smirked and looked at me.

“This is not the first time i've been on top of you today and haven't fucked you silly.”

“Shut the fuck up and get the fuck off, you rusty blanket.” I demanded, not really wanting him to get off me.

I was 300 percent okay with him fucking me silly.

But I didn't tell  _him_ that.

“I was just trying to mind my own business, going to a party, and you two are  _fucking_ in the hallway? That's a symptom of being a slut, you know."

Louis got up and glared at Lena, putting his hands on his hips.

Which showed off his impeccable ass.

Not that I was looking or anything.

Bunk _that_ shit, I was totally looking.

"Do you think that maybe you lash out because you're the love child or Robin Thicke and my geography teacher?" Louis asked with false concern in his voice.

I snorted while she gave me a disgusted glare.

"Do you actually have  _sex_ with her?”

“Well i'm not fucking _you_ , now am I, love?”

She made a face as she opened her clutch purse and pulled out a card.

“This is my card. When you finally realise that you want something _tight,_ give me a call.”

And then she strutted away.

I turned to Louis who jumped up and down.

“Now our plan can go into effect.” He said, and rubbed his palms together- pretty maniacally, i’d say- and ran over to my dresser, opening the third drawer down.

“Louis, why are you-” He stretched his arm behind him as he peered into the dresser and silenced me with a middle finger.

“ _Shhhhhhhh_ I have a _plan_ , babe. A _plan_. And when you have a _plan_ , usually, you have materials to carry out your plans. And those planning planned materials go into places that haven’t seen the light of day since 1781.”

I rolled my eyes and walked over to him, peering into the drawer that really probably  _hasn't_  been opened since 1781.

Lying inside of the drawer was the hot sauce that Louis had swiped earlier, and the pairs of shoes he had bought, a bottle of chocolate syrup, and the bottle of mayonnaise he had bought earlier today.

“It’s time.”

* * *

Louis led me out into the hallway and then stopped to look down the stairs. I guess to check to see if no one was there.

I made a groaning noise.

“Are you going to tell me _why_ you demanded that we wear all black because….?”

“Cecily, when you’re carrying out secret ninja plans, you wear all black. Have you never seen a movie? People wearing all black never get caught.”

“How many times have you been caught wearing all black?”

“That question is uncalled for, and I don’t have to answer it.”

I sighed and pulled the fabric of my turtleneck away from my throat, feeling as if I was an art thief being choked by her own _fucking_ shirt that her _fucking_ scratched curtain of a boyfriend bought for her in a matching set.

“But… turtlenecks, though?”

“It is a process, it’s a _plan_.”

Once Louis had decided that no one was coming up the steps at that particular moment, he pranced to Lena’s door on his tippy toes, settling on his heels once he got up to the door.

Once he was standing in front of it, he dramatically whipped his head from left to right and back again, checking to see if anyone was coming.

No one.

No one was coming.

Then he shook the door knob-Not _turned_ , no- he _shook_ the door knob and then looked at me and shrugged.

“It’s locked.”

But... he didn't even _check_ it properly.

“Are you telling me that you’re giving up?” I asked, humoring him.

“Absolutely _not_!” And then he whipped a hair pin out of the pocket of his sweatpants (because he couldn’t find a pair of black sweatpants and it would just be ridiculous to wear jeans) and shoved it in the keyhole and started basically just thrusting it in and out.

With no skill.

At all.

“Louis-”

“ _Shhhh_ I am _concentrating_.”

And then he pulled the hairpin out and stretched out his pocket so that he could dramatically drop the hairpin back in it, wiggling his eyebrows at me the entire time.

I covered my mouth as I watched him reach for the doorknob-still wiggling his eyebrows while staring me straight in the face, so he kind of had to paw around until his hand actually hit the door knob.- and then he turned it, the door springing open.

“I am fucking on _top_ , baby!” he said excitedly, walking- as stealthily as possible- into the shared room.

I followed him in and he gestured at me to close the door. As soon as I did he set the wal-mart bag in the middle of the floor and looked at the two beds there, trying to decide which one was Lena’s.

The room was a lot like mine except smaller, with wood floors and the same colored walls. There were two single beds pushed to either side of the room, one that was neatly made with two little chocolates on the pillow and a note, and the one on the other side looked basically like mine did, with the sheets literally everywhere, and a bunch of clothes thrown on it- probably cleaned off at the end of the night.

“I think I figured out which one is Lena’s.” He said, pointing at the messier side of the room. He walked over to the bed and squatted down, searching for something. “Hey, can you like.. do the mayonnaise thing, love?”

“Where would I put the lotion?”

“Just squeeze it all out in the bottle of shampoo sitting next to her headboard.” He said, unnecessarily pointing to the nightstand next to her bed. I raised my eyebrow at him and picked up the bottle- which was 90 percent empty, and could definitely fit the bottle of lotion I had fished out from under the covers of the bed.

“Won’t she notice the difference in weight?”

“Babe, that’s not the point, she won’t question it and if she does, we don’t care about that. It’s like... a side plan.”

I just thanked my lucky stars that the lotion was the same color as the mayonnaise and twisted off both the caps of the lotion and the shampoo, and started squeezing the lotion into the shampoo bottle.

“ **Fucking _yes_**.” I heard Louis exclaim behind me.

I took a break from the now mostly full container of sort of shampoo and turned to look at Louis, who was holding up a pair of red shoes, the exact kind he had bought at the store earlier and gave me a nice little smirk.

I watched as he opened the jar of hot sauce and poured it into a round- fabric - container, dipping the shoes in and letting them soak in the liquid.

“Where’d you get the box thing?” I asked and he shrugged.

“I dont know. It was under the bed holding hats or something. Like who the fuck owns a hat box?”

Then I had no resistance from the lotion bottle, and it was making that empty noise fart thing noise that lotion bottles do when they’re empty, so I screwed on the cap of the now much heavier shampoo bottle and sat down on the bed, reaching over and grabbing the jar of mayonnaise, and looking at Louis who was sitting cross-legged on the floor next to me, tending to the shoes.

He looked up at me with bright blue eyes full of mischief, his long brown hair falling into his eyes, making him look younger than he normally did.

Can I keep him?

“I got another pair just like it in case Rose has a fit over what happened. But they’re a size smaller.” And then he cackled, taking them out of the bucket, dripping in hot sauce.

“That’s kind of disgusting.”

“Lena’s kind of disgusting.” He retorted and placed them on a sheet of paper towel that he had torn off from a roll he took with us. He put the top back on the container and shoved it under the bed, still with hot sauce inside.

I managed to get the lotion bottle full of mayonnaise and carefully set it back where I had found it at the foot of the bed, closing up the jar and shoving it back in the wal-mart bag.

“Lou… you know what size shoe she wears?”

“Cece, tell me how you could possibly make a good plan without knowing all the information first.”

Then he stood up and rooted through her bag, taking out a hair dryer and waving it at me.

“Now to dry the shoes.” He said, making his voice sound royal as if he was introducing something important.

“Louis, they’re _ruined_.” I said, looking at the shoes.

The red in them seemed to have dulled, and the hot sauce made a coating over them that looked absolutely disgusting.

They were fucked up.

But not so fucked up that she would immediately notice it. She’d probably have time to even put the shoes on before realizing that they'd been tampered with.

He plugged the hair dryer in and aimed it at the shoes to kick start their drying process, and pointed at the bag.

“Can you get the sauce over there and hand it to me?”

I rolled my eyes and handed him the chocolate sauce, and he flicked the lid open and tilted his head back a little, squeezing some into his mouth and then setting it on the floor next to him.

Maybe we were going too far.

“Okay, now take the chocolate and-”

“Louis… with this and the mayonnaise... don’t you think she’d be on to us?”

“No.”

“Well she’s going to notice that _someone_ messed up all of her things.”

“Yeah, but we won’t be suspect.”

Definitely too far.

“Louis….”

“Fine. You’re lucky it tastes almost better than you do-” He was cut off by the door opening.

Time slowed down as we watched the door open, and I felt panic as someone stepped through. That someone was wearing a bright pink sundress and orange heels.

Rose stopped in the middle of the doorway and looked at us, Louis holding a hair dryer above a pair of ruined, dripping shoes and me standing in the middle of the room with a bottle of open chocolate sauce in my hands, the both of us dressed in all black.

“She won’t notice us because we’re in stealth mode, it’s okay.” Louis whispered at me and Rose’s eyes flickered to Louis, the shoes and me, and then all over again.

“Are you messing up Lena’s wedding shoes?”

“We’re upgrading them.” Louis said.

“You certainly are. Carry on.” Rose said, and backed out of the room, closing the door behind her.

One our way out, Louis took a piece of paper and pencil out of his pocket and scrawled the words "Stop being mean to my ex-girlfriend- A." and left it on her rumpled bed sheets.

* * *

Louis all but _shoved_ me through the bedroom door in a hurry to not be seen and quickly closed it, smiling at me.

“Mission accomplished.” He said, making a fist in the air and then pulling his arm down like he was a video game character who had just achieved something important.

This is usually the part in books and movies where the heroine realizes that what she just did to her cousin was absolutely unacceptable, and that her cousin was a human being in need of love and affection just like any other human being, and would promptly go admit what she did and apologize before her cousin could be affected by whatever it is the heroine did.

But I didn't feel bad at  _all_.

Which means that Lena was still a baby's bottom.

“The rehearsal is in about an hour and a half, maybe we should start getting ready.” Louis said as if we hadn't just soaked Lena’s wedding shoes in hot sauce.

Or that on the way back Louis had literally ninja rolled through the hallway until we reached my bedroom door.

Or that I had followed suit.

I came back to the present to notice Louis standing in front of me, waiting for me to look at him.

When I did, I was suddenly overwhelmed by the blue of his eyes and the length of his hair and the smell of him and suddenly I remembered that we were dating, and that meant that I was _allowed_ to be overwhelmed by him.

Not that he could tell me not to be obsessed anyway.

He can’t tell me what to do.

I gulped a little when he put his hands on my hips and pulled me closer to him, one of his hands on my lower back.

“I am _not_ done being horny.” He murmured into my ear and I shivered, placing my palms against his chest.

He hooked his fingers underneath my turtleneck and lifted it up, exposing a strip of my stomach to the cold air.

I slapped his arm and shook my head at him. “An hour and a half, Lou.”

“That’s like… a really long time.” He trailed off, too busy watching himself lift my shirt even higher, until it hit right under my chest.

I was going to say something, but then he shifted his eyes from my body to my own eyes, and a shock went through me, like the kind that writers describe in books, the kind that makes you speechless and seem impossible and at the same time they break you.

And yet, somehow, it’s a pleasant feeling.

More than pleasant.

And I was stuck, I couldn't move if I wanted to, and Louis was leaning in, his hands now on my waist- having dropped my shirt-and kissed me, his mouth pressing against mine, soft - yet sturdy - and it felt like I was kissing him for the first time, or maybe something had changed, I don’t fucking know.

All I know is that we had an hour and a half, and his hands had shifted from my waist to my black jeans, unzipping them and undoing the button in two swift motions, and I was pulling away from his mouth to watch him work at removing my pants.

“... _Lou_ …” I croaked it out, because he had been kissing me like I was his last breath, and I sort of didn't want to talk him out of- _ooh_ \- whatever he was doing to me through my underwear.

He gently sucked at my neck and placed his free hand on the small of my back again, because I was dangerously close to crumpling to the ground, and something other than my legs had to hold me up. And I hate him.

After a few minutes and a choice set of words when he accidentally rubbed his crotch against my knee, Louis murmured out a “Did you need something?” against my mouth and I drew a blank.

 _Did_ I need something?

I don’t know.

Next thing I know, his fingers had stopped and he was looking at me expectantly, like what I had said to him was suddenly the most important thing in the w.

“I don’t know…”

“Try to remember, love.” He coaxed.

“I seem to remember now...it was to say that you’re a box of lucky charms without the marshmallows.” I said bitterly, upset that he had stopped, and even more upset that he had the audacity to ask me questions right now.

“You sound upset.”

“Yeah, cuz I fucking hate you.” I murmured, resting my face in the crook of his neck and leaning against him, thinking a little about sex, but mostly about how there was a bottle of unopened apple juice in the refrigerator and that it had been there long enough to get cold, and all I could imagine was the cracking noise that juice bottles makes when you first open them. “I want some apple juice.” I complained, and Louis put his hands on my hips and pulled me back so that he could look me right in the eyeball.

“ _Juice_?”

“Yeah, I need to wet my whistle.”

He crooked his finger in the waistband of my panties and pulled the elastic out and let it go, snapping it back against my skin to remind me of what we were doing earlier. “ _I_ need to wet _my_ whistle.” and he smiled softly at me.

I fought the urge to put the back of my hand against my forehead and swoon.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine.” I answered back, my voice thick, my head swimming with impure thoughts.

“I’m _not_ fine.”

I rolled my eyes and pressed my hand against his crotch and rubbed with the heel of my palm, hard.

He moaned quietly, his smile having dropped as soon as my hand moved between his legs.

 _Oh_.

“You’re _hard_.”

“And you’re a tease.”

“I am _not_ a tease!” I was lying through my teeth and Louis didn’t say anything because we both knew this to be true.

He pulled me in and gently kissed me, this time it was slow and personal- important.

It said a lot, his stupid fucking kiss.

Or maybe I was reading into it.

Then he leaned in and kissed me again, this time not so sweet, and rolled his hips against my palm again, making a small sighing noise into my mouth when he got the friction he wanted.

Maybe it was me wanting to hear Louis moan again that made me move my hand and start pulling down his sweatpants and boxers, watching as I revealed more and more of his shaft.

He stopped kissing me and watched as I pulled his clothes down to his thighs, thumbing over the head of his cock and looking up at him.

They were a dark-almost cerulean- blue, and a little glazed over from lust. His mouth was parted open as he met my gaze, and his breath hitched when I traced the vein on the underside of his shaft.

“I didn’t _mean_ to be a tease.” I said innocently, circling the base with my fingers and smiling at him.

“Fuck yo-”

He broke off into a long, drawn out moan and buried his face into the crook of my neck, the response from my hand having wrapped around the shaft, pumping lazily and relentlessly. I felt him breathing- a little shakily- against my neck, and I reveled at his reaction, distracted by trying to make him moan again.

“You’re going entirely too slow.” He murmured some time later, resting his forehead against mine and slowly opening his eyes, his voice thick. He gently started thrusting into my fist for more friction and closed his eyes again, his breathing slowly becoming more and more labored, and his thrusts getting a little faster.

After a while, his small whimpers started turning into little moans, and I knew he was close because his grip on my waist had tightened painfully, and his thrusts were becoming sloppy and a little desperate.

“ _Fuck_.” he moaned, right when there was a knock on my bedroom door.

“Cece? Louis? Can you guys come down here? Thanks.”

I didn't bother to try to think about whose voice it was, because I had pulled away from Louis and was staring in his face now, feeling a little guilty because he looked absolutely _wrecked_ , his pupils blown, his lips parted, and he was breathing heavily, looking a little in pain because he didn’t finish.

What kind of guy even reacts that strongly- or hotly- to a handjob?

I hate him.

“ ** _Fuck_**.” Louis said when i gave him an apologetic- All though, It was surprisingly endearing to see him fucked up like that- look and simply walked out my bedroom door.

* * *

“Wait a minute, I have to sit next to the _slut_?”

I rolled the heel of my palm across my forehead because I was fucking sick of Lena, and the fact that she had started calling me names not three minutes after my parents had walked outside to say hi to some family members.

Like, she could've given me three point five minutes.

I think that would've been fair of her.

But since she was a poopy face dummy head, she didn't consider my feelings at _all_ in this.

“That’s _rude_! It is absolutely horrible to call your family members crude names like that.” Rose scolded before I could retort.

But because I had been distracted, I was a little late realising that I was saved from trying to dredge up a come back, so I ended up throwing one at Lena anyway as I scraped my chair from under the kitchen table and sat at it.

“It’s not my fault that you’re a bowl of milkless cereal.” I said, and Lena scoffed and Louis gave me a disapproving glare as he sat down next to me.

“Wow.” Louis said.

All I ask for is just a little _support_.

We had all managed to squeeze into the living room, most of the family looking bored and rolling their eyes.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Louis fidgeting a little more than usual, but decided not to indulge in the fact that it could be because of me.

Instead I focused on Rose who was standing at the front of the table and delicately clinking a champagne glass.

Where did she even  _get_ that from?

“Okay, so we will travel to the church and have a little walkthrough of the ceremony there. And then we’ll meet back here for dinner and a little bit of small talk.”

Someone- my aunt Matilda- raise her hand in annoyance and Rose pointed at her, patiently waiting for the question.

“Aren't rehearsals supposed to be for the wedding party? You know, the groom, the bridesmaids, you and the flower girl and ring bearer?”

“Why, yes that is correct, aunt Matilda.” Rose answered politely, smiling at my aunt.

“Then why is the whole _family_ here? Weddings are supposed to be a sort of suprise, and Judge Judy is coming on in 30 minutes, and I signed up for a wedding not two.” Aunt Matilda continued.

Rose looked a little startled and speechless.

“Why…. yes, I _suppose_ but-”

“Young lady, I am waiting for an iron hard fist of justice tonight, not any weddings. So I am kindly, politely leaving.” And she gathered her purse and stood up, promptly walking out. 

Almost everyone followed her except for the wedding party, who looked a little amazed also.

For some reason I couldn't quite wrap my head around why Lena was still there, glowering at me.

“Well… now that there is a more comfortable number left, how about we get in the cars and make our way to the church house?” Other than the face Rose had made earlier, she seemed completely unfazed by the fact that 95% of the people that showed up to the rehearsal actually left, including my parents, whispering something about how they should check up on the dog upstairs.

They don’t have a dog upstairs.

I managed to snag the keys from Louis while he looked distracted, so I slipped into the driver’s side and put the key in the ignition, starting up the car.

I was determined to drive this time.

Louis opened my door and bent over so that his face was close to mine.

“What are you doing in my seat?” He asked.

“I don't see your name on this seat.”

“That’s because you're _blind_ , Cecily.”

“I know you are but what am I?” Then I gestured to the passenger seat because almost everyone had pulled out of the driveway by now, and here Louis was, trying- and failing - to convince me to give up my driving privileges.

Well fuck him.

Then next thing I know, Louis is moving from the door and onto my lap, resting his legs in the passenger seat, and his-not so surprisingly plushy- ass sitting on my lap, his hands on the wheel and his arm reaching out to close the door.

“ _Louis_.”

“I want to drive.” He whined, and I tried to see around him. Even though his frame was slender, and relatively tiny for a man, it was a nearly impossible.

“I’ll steer, you pedal.” He suggested after I punched him in the thigh a few times and he had replied by grazing my ribs with his elbows, and we were basically in a fist fight in the front seat of a car, having gone _nowhere_.

“I can’t _see_ , Louis, how am I supposed to pedal?”

“I’ll tell you when to brake and go.”

“Are you trying to _kill_ us?”

“At least I’d get to drive.”

I made a very loud groaning noise and after a lot of shoving and cussing, and me accidentally slamming my knee on the front console, I managed to have crawled uncomfortably into the passenger seat, with Louis' legs under me, and him looking a little too content.

He forcefully pulled his legs from under me and I flicked his knee as he got settled into the front seat, taking only a few moments to check his mirrors and begin driving.

Once we reached the church, we were a little bit late.

I climbed out of the car and Louis was leaning against the side of it, staring at me expectantly.

I was distracted by the fact that he looked really, really good, his body leaning against the car, his brown hair stopping a little below his neck, his fingers turning his phone over and over in his hand and his piercing, icy blue eyes digging into my fucking soul and rooting there.

So it was no fucking surprise that my foot ended up catching on the door frame, and I sort of just helplessly watched as the pavement of the parking lot rushed to meet my face.

But somehow Louis had managed to catch me, and I only came away with a badly aching ankle, and the feeling you get in you heart when you lean a chair back too far and it feels like free-falling through space and that it would inevitably end up in your ultimate demise.

Then he let me go and I stumbled a little bit entering the church, whispering a soft cuss word and then furiously apologizing for it.

Everyone was already waiting for me, in their places.

Rose was standing across from Xavier, and the bridesmaids and groomsen had their respective places behind them, and I was the only one not placed.

I quickly walked over and stood behind them, making a face at Louis and deciding, simultaneously, that this was all his fault.

“I’m glad you could make it.” Rose said, and shot Louis a glare.

I think she had decided that this was all his fault, too.

“Oh, _yes_ , I could just _choke_ on him right now.” Lena said under her breath as somebody offical told Rose and Xavier what was going to happen during their vows and shit tomorrow.

I glanced at Louis and he was sitting in a pew, leaning back- horrible posture- and crossing his legs, laughing loudly at something on his phone.

I resisted the urge to throw her into a vat of chicken and chili.

Because honestly, who would want to ruin a vat of chicken? or chili?

And then I thought about me choking on him and I made an unattractive retching sound.

Not from _repulsion_ but from some primal _need_ to do exactly that.

Oh _no._

I’m in a church I can’t be thinking about this stuff.

“Okay, now we’ll pair up the bridesmaids with the groomsmen.” The official guy said, inviting us to stand in two lines in front of him.

He paired me up with Anthony.

Maybe I really did like Louis after all, because I had no impulsive need to have Anthony’s dick anywhere near my orifices, and I used to _date_ him.

I glanced at the icingless poptart of a boyfriend now, and his mouth was set into an annoyed expression.

Probably because I had been paired off with Anthony.

But i’m sure a tootsie roll pop without the tootsie or the roll like him would be fine.

Anthony placed his hand on my lower back and leaned down toward my ear. “I bet you never thought i’d be walking you down the aisle, huh?”

“Not at _all_.” I responded, bored.

“Ouch.”

“What? did I step on your toe or something? I’m sorry.” I asked, shifting my foot farther from his and giving him an apologetic look.

“No, you stepped on my heart.”

“What?”

“I wanted to walk you down the aisle, you know. Like, with a nice black and white wedding, and we'd have had a dog named spot and three kids, and we’d live on a nice ranch somewhere, and you’d cook me dinner every night…” I tuned him the rest of the way out because _fuck_ that shit.

I wanted a cat.

And two kids at the most.

And what the fuck even is a ranch that’s not a real thing.

And who the fuck names a dog spot?

Lil nerds.

That’s who.

“We could've been so _happy_ if you hadn't have moved away and met _him_.”

Is this even real life?

Thankfully Rose finally announced that we were going back to the house for dinner, and I disengaged the one sided conversation with Anthony as quickly as possible and rushed over to Louis, who snapped an unexpected picture of me and then barked out a laugh.

“Oh _god_ , yes.” He laughed, tapping the screen a little bit. I glared at him until he gave a hefty sigh and showed me the picture.

It was a blurry picture of me looking super off-balance, and absolutely unattractive.

“Who’d you send that too?”

“I dunno, like everybody. It’s a hot picture, innit?” He asked, his accent distracting me a little bit. Then he ambled out of the church, me following quickly behind.

After we got to the house we all sat down- for good this time- and started chattering, talking about a lot of random things until the plates came out.

Louis encroached my outer thigh territory with his hand and gently started stroking the skin there, acting innocently.

Who the fuck does this hot refridgerator think he is?

And then I remembered that I had almost _literally_ left him hanging today, and he was most definitely suffering from it.

I leaned over- away from Lena - and whispered into his ear.

“You okay?” I asked, awkwardly shifting my eyes to his groin to let him know what I was concerned about.

“Absolutely _not_.”

“You’re supposed to say you are. It’s polite.”

“I’m not a _liar_ , Cecily.” Louis said with a straight face. But his straight face didn't last long as he broke out into a loud laugh, both of us basically crying into the tablecloth, causing heads to turn and the feeling of Rose glaring at the back of our heads.

“Pass this.” Lena said, handing me a folded napkin. I glared at her for interrupting me and Louis, and started to hand it off when I noticed Louis’ name was scrawled on the opposite side of the note, where I wasn't supposed to see.

**When you get the chance, i’d love to wrap my mouth around your situation xoxoxox- lena.**

I glared at her and she smiled politely, gesturing for me to pass it on. I obeyed and handed him the folded note in the same way that Lena had passed it to me so that he’d think I hadn’t read it.

He reached into my purse and rustled around until he found a pen and uncapped it, placing the top in his mouth and scrawling on the napkin, handing it back to me.

**Well, finally you ask! My situation happens to be very difficult to deal with at the moment.**

Louis had been preoccupied with talking to a bridesmaid so he hadn't seen me coily opening the note and scanning it. I unhappily threw it at Lena and she read it, smiling and writing a response.

I passed it to Louis without reading- I was really only interested in his response to whatever she had said, and whether or not I should make whatever is difficult for him a _permanent_ situation.

**Louis, i’m glad you've finally agreed to letting me take care of you. That slut of yours can't possibly make you feel the way that I can make you feel-xoxox Lena.**

**Lena, you make it sound sexual or something. I thought you were just finally going to do me a favor and wrap your mouth around my bottle of ‘No one likes you, you rotten egg’. P.S, if you were talking sexual, I’m sure my girlfriend wouldn't make me feel like I was having a sexual encounter with the my geography teacher and Robin Thicke’s love child, so thanks for letting me know. xoxoxox- Louis**

I handed it to her and she read it and then frowned, looking at Louis, who waved at her from his seat with his fingers. Then he made made a fist with his thumb and pinky finger free and waved it next to his ear mouthing “call me!” at her.

* * *

“ _Fuck, yes._ ” I moaned.

I was in the shower and the water was so _hot._  It was almost _scalding_ , and it was enough to make someone want to cry.

And muscles want to relax.

Not that i've been doing anything that makes my muscles need to relax or anything.

But still, this water is quality.

I made a little “o” shape with my fingers at the stream to let it know that it was A-ok, and turned around so the water could slam into my back in an unreletnless stream of steam and hotness.

I considered breaking up with Louis and quitting my job in favor of giving all my attention to really hot showers- as I always did when I built up the nerve to get the water hot enough to burn skin- when I heard the bathroom door open and someone walk in.

I didn't pay any attention to this, though, because it was normal behavior. There were the two of us and it was either this bathroom or the one in the hallway that everybody used, so I figured Louis was just coming in to brush his teeth or something of that nature, since it was late.

I closed my eyes and started thinking about stuff.

Like how the food at dinner was caviar and fish.

I thought it was just a little rude to be eating fish eggs anywhere near actual fish, but Rose didn't appreciate it when I voice _that_ opinion.

The only people who liked it was Rose and the remnants of Chuckie's asshole.

Or like how I hadn't finished Louis off and he was probably suffering on the other side of this curtain.

Then I suddenly started thinking about Louis’ penis, and that’s really _never_ the best thing to think about in a shower.

But those thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the faint sound of a toilet flushing, and then the hot, steaming, burning sensation pelting against my back suddenly morphing into a freezing, ice cold wetness that made me seriously question whether or not Louis could be the one for me.

In an attempt to get away from the water, I quickly stepped out of the tub and shivered a lot, assuming Louis had already left the bathroom.

He had not, in fact, left the bathroom.

His zipper was down and his shirt was off, I guess he was in the middle of changing when he got the fucking gorgeous idea to flush the toilet while I was in the shower. He looked at me and gave a slightly suspicious smile before walking up and standing a step or two away.

“But… _why_ did you flush the toilet?” Was all I managed to get out, because of my flawless anger mixed a little bit with me being distracted by his tattoos.

But I can't be distracted by him right now.

He stopped my hot water.

People can get shanked over that kind of behavior.

“You look good.” He commented.

“I feel cold.” I retorted and he sighed.

“Louis, my water was _hot_.” I complained and he shoved his fingers through his hair, his muscles flexing.

“ _You’re_ hot.” He mumbled, obviously not paying attention to anything other than the me.

Oh, _shit_.

I suddenly remembered that I was _naked._  

I tried to cover myself up with my hands and spotted my towel resting on the sink which happened to _not_ be arm's length from where I stood. The water was still running behind me, and I was distracted by what I could’ve had when I tried to walk towards my towel.

I slipped on a puddle of water that had formed on the ground from me being sopping wet and climbing out of the shower, and managed to tumble right into Louis, and we both fell on the floor, me sprawled out on top of him, and he was laughing.

A lot.

“Oh my _god_ , how have you survived this long?” Louis asked. But I noticed that out of the corner of my eye, louis had given me a concerned once- over.

“This is your fault, you know.” I mumbled, pressing my face into the crook of his neck, deciding that actually getting up would just be too much of a challenge.

He pulled my face up so I would look at him though and he smiled and gently kissed me. “I am so fond of you.” He said, gently stroking my back. “But you're cold. And really _wet_ , love. And not the kind of wet I like to mess with.”

“You know what _wasn't_ cold? My water.” I said, ghosting my lips against his and straddling him, so that i’d be in an easier position to get up.

“Either get _off_ or get _me_ off, Cecily, thanks.” He said, and I rolled my eyes and managed to get off him and stand up without slipping too much.  

Although I accidentally elbowed him in the jaw on purpose on my way up.

I grabbed my towel and started drying myself off, wrapping it securely around my body and leaning over to turn off the water, mourning it and all its heated glory.

I stood up and pushed past Louis to walk into my bedroom, stopping at the foot of the bed to start putting on the night clothes I had thrown there before I got in the shower.

I had managed to get a shirt on that said “‘No!' Jimmyy protested.” and decided against pants because _fuck_ pants.

I turned around in time to see Louis removing his pants and underwear, and then having the _audacity_ to climb into my bed.

“Louis, you aren't wearing… clothes to bed?”

“You’re not wearing clothes to bed.”

“For your _information_ i’m wearing a _very_ long shirt and underwear. You are hella naked.”

“You've got to let it breathe, love.” He said casually, sitting up and reaching for his phone.

I walked over to my side of the bed and then got in, sitting up too, reaching for a book.

I didn't feel like arguing with him, and besides he looked much too good to deny at the moment.

“I don’t know if you know this, but I didn't actually get to finish.” Louis said, and I looked up only to find him a few inches away from my face, looking absolutely delectable.

“....Yeah.” I murmured, my eyes flitting to his crotch and back again.

“Are you going to?”

“Going...? Going to-to... what?” I had been flustered by his nearness.

“Finish me.”

“ _Fuck_ , Louis, it’s 1:00 and we have to be up at 10 tomorrow and i’m _tired_.”

“So, what you’re saying to me right now is that i’m going to have to masturbate, and then be horny all day tomorrow too?”

“We’re leaving tomorrow, after the wedding.” I replied casually, not knowing if that would mean anything to his plans for getting off.

Louis glared at me until I put my book down on the bedside table and looked at him. “Yes, I guess that’s exactly what i'm saying.” I murmured, a little bout of guilt washing over me.

To be honest, I was very _much_ in the mood to have sex right now.

But Louis is a trash boat and I like to see him squirm.

Not to mention, I didn't want to be tired tomorrow.

His eyes looked actually _determined_ , a look I have never seen go unsatisfied on him.

I gulped.

“You’re _fucking_ with me!” He said, and suddenly realisation lit up those eyes of his, and he gave me a look of utter shock.

“Well, I’m not _fucking_ with you at all.” I snorted, and he gave me an unamused glare as I shifted so that I would be lying on my back, ready to go to sleep.

Then he leaned in and kissed me, his fingers gripping my chin lightly.

He pulled away, even closer to my face now than he had been before, his mouth ghosting against mine with every word.

“This sort of thing doesn't really go un _punished_ , you know.”

“Oh, _please_ , Louis you’re not going to punish me for fucking with you a little bit.”

Then he kissed me again and dropped my chin, sighing loudly and lying down too, also ready to go to sleep.

Before I drifted off I heard him say “When you do the crime you do the time.”

I was suddenly piqued with interest over what the punishment would actually  _be_.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah so.... the next chapter is going to be the last one *waves hands*, and that fucking sucks.  
> So I decided i'm going to make a sequel.  
> I've already named it and everything.  
> The sequel will be called "Ouch! I think I fell for you, two."  
> Get it?  
> Like, I fell for you too, but with a two- cuz it's the second one  
> heheh


	9. The last hurrah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter!  
> Keep an eye out for my next fanfiction- and then the sequel to this chapter afterwards- it'll be named "Ouch! I think I fell for you, too!"  
> Frackin fanci son

I opened the door of the bathroom and stepped out. (theatrically doing the butt-shining motion that people do in movies) and wrapped a towel around myself, consumed in the motion of tucking it in on itself so that it wouldn't fall off.

I mean, I was just so _shit_ at keeping it from detaching from my body and falling to the floor wordless, nothing but a traitor and a coward.

My tongue was sticking out of my mouth and my eyebrows were furrowed. I was whispering encouraging words to the soft fabric, things like “You are fluffy. You are soft. You can stay on my body while I walk to this suitcase. _You_ can change the world. You are _not_ a brussel sprout cult leader. In fact, you are my hero.”

I looked up from my third try, holding the towel together with a couple of fingers and gave out a surprised scream when I realised Louis was standing like point 9 inches away from me, a smirk on his face.

“You fucking _scared_ me, you greasy artichoke!” I screamed, and Louis looked a little disappointed.

“Well, that’s what I was going for, love.” Louis said, his eyes rolling over my body. I made an offended face and flipped him off.

“If I just had a heart attack, right now, it'd be your fault.”

“Never though it’d hurt so bad.” He said, and shrugged. “I didn’t mean to make you go into cardiac arrest, you know.” and then he put a finger against my clothed chest and his eyes turned from a twinkling blue to more of a serious sapphire. “But I did mean to make you drop the towel.”

“Well it's just too bad for you, trigonometry, that I didn't, isn't it?” I murmured, a little distracted by him a lot.

His eyes are really, really _really_ ….

I sort of forgot what I was thinking because he was kissing me, and what I could think was along the lines of “This is so unfair.” 

and

"It's 9 o' clock in the morning, I don't deserve  _this_ , especially not from a man who leads a group of brussel sprouts."

I groaned when he tried to deepen the kiss and pulled away, resting my forehead against his chest as he made a childish defeated noise.

“ _Gutted_.” He murmured, tapping my hip in a pattern that reminded me of the beat to "Ice Ice baby".

“It’s not _my_ fault you can’t control yourself for two days, Louis.”

“It’s not _my_ fault that you’re a proper tease.” he retorted.

“It’s not _my_ fault that you're a fully-functioning broken walkie-talkie.”

“Wow, _so_ much hate coming from the queen of lame land. You know, the land in which you rule.”

I pulled away from him as he scratched his collarbone and looked at me expectantly, I guess waiting for my reply.

“You are a steaming vat of urine.” I murmured and he laughed as he flicked my forehead.

“So, have you heard? Rose is taking us to a country club before the wedding.” Louis said.

I raised my eyebrows. The wedding starts around 6, and it was almost noon now. With all the time she would need to get her make-up and hair done, I really didn't have much idea _why_ we would be going _anywhere_ before the wedding.

“She said her hair and makeup artists are there or something, and she can give us ‘something to do’- she glared at me when she said that, I wonder why- and knock out two birds with one stone. She also said we have to dress up.”

“ ** _What_**?” I groaned, and made a face that closely resembled one that Rose makes when her refrigerator isn't in alphabetical order.

I’m so _sick_ of having to dress decently. it was detrimental not only to my character, but also to my heart.

“When are we leaving?” I asked, my voice sad and full of sadness.

“She said 12:07”

What the _fuck_ kind of time is 12:07?

“It’s eleven forty-five!” I complained. Louis looked at the clock and shrugged his shoulders, holding his palms outward into the air as if he was saying "whoopsie".

“I call the bathroom!” I said, walking towards my suitcase.

Then Louis grabbed his bag and all but _sprinted_ into the bathroom before I even _thought_ about having a chance. I rolled my eyes and started rooting through my own limited clothing options for something to wear to a place where rich people sit on money and consume products made of richasfuck diamonds.

“What do you even _wear_ to a country club?” I asked a few minutes later, standing outside of the bathroom door. I was wearing a sapphire blue cocktail dress (that furiously reminded me of Louis' eyes) and was holding up two pairs of leggings.

One pair had the words “fuck you” dotted throughout the fabric.

The other pair said “Hesitation” on them. But it was in a cool font, and I was actually torn between the two.

Louis opened the door and leaned against the frame, crossing his legs and rolling his eyes over my body.

“The ‘fuck you’ ones, obviously.” He stated, and I stuttered out some kind of answer, because he was wearing a tight black shirt with some kind of print on it. (looked like someone might be getting slapped by a slice of pizza?) and a pair of skinny jeans and shoes.

“I thought you were gonna dress up?”

“I _am_. This is my favorite shirt, and also, very 'country club chic'.” He gestured to his outfit and raised his eyebrows. “Nice dress.” he commented as I yanked the right leg of the fabric up my... right leg and pointed at them theatrically, suggesting to him what he should be doing right now.

I stood up straight and sighed. “Don’t you think Rose will get onto you for wearing that?” I asked, balancing on one leg as I tried to fit the other half of the leggings over my other leg. Louis gave me a concerned glance as I stumbled a little bit and then righted myself.

“What? No she won't, I'll eat her.”

I stumbled as I looked up at him. “Not if she doesn't eat you firs.” I challenged.

“No, n- Cecily you’re going to _fall_.” He exclaimed right as I started toppling over, very much in an uncontrollable fashion. He reached out and grabbed my elbow, steadying me.

“See, look, I didn’t fall.”

“You’re not wrong.” He said and let me go, stepping away from me. “You need help putting that on?” His blue eyes pierced through mine and I shivered a little bit as I shook my head.

“Louis, what kind of come-on includes suggesting that you help them put _on_ their clothes?”

“Desperate ones.” He said, rolling his eyes and taking his phone out, his thumb wiping across the screen. “Also ones that know their partner can’t walk without falling onto their faces.”

"The truth really _does_ hurt." I thought as I actually  _did_ topple over, I guess from being too distracted by what Lou had said.

* * *

We had been in this country club for exactly none _seconds_ and Louis was _already_ messing with shit.

He had his hand underneath a lamp shade and was making a determined face, with accompanied “shit”s and “Yeah, fuck _yeah_!”s at the end. He removed his hand and it was holding a light bulb, one of those energy saver ones.

I raised my eyebrows at him and looked around. We were in a building in the backyard (well, more like back _field_ ), and it was empty, but I could through the huge sliding glass doors fitted into the other side of the room that there was a group of women in their early 40’s walking this way.

“You have absolutely _no_ reason to steal a light bulb.”

“You have to look be _yond_ the bulb. I’m stealing it because it’s in a country club in a state i've never been in a place I wasn’t born in, keep up.”

“You’re stealing a light bulb for _sentimental_ reasons?”

“Yeah.” He said, and handed it to me. I gave him an apprehensive look and he sighed.

“Well, it’s not going to fit into  _my_ pocket, now is it?” He asked and pointed at my purse. I cursed myself for having a bag that was big enough to hold a hot (haha, like... stolen kind of hot) light bulb and put it inside right as the glass doors slid open and the group of women entered, laughing about something.

“So, are we going shopping tomorrow?” One of the ladies asked. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, and reminded me a lot of Rose but without the accent and probably had an endless pocket.

A brown haired, brown eyed lady with a boring face sat down on one of the couches and crossed her legs, her knee length dress riding up a little as she did so.

“Well, I told little Darla that i’d go to her pageant tomorrow, but i’m sure she won’t mind if I cancel. 8 years is old enough to understand, i'm sure. I mean, if she _does_ mind I guess I could buy her a barbie or something.”

Ew, who the _fuck_ names their kid Darla?

Did they even see us standing here, watching them?

Louis looked one hundred percent interested in their conversation, and I was just trying to find ways to make it out of the room without being seen. The only doors were the sliding glass ones because it was like a separate building put out into the land of the club, I guess for people to go when they didn't want to sit on the grass and wanted to be surrounded by couches and fancy lamps and doilies, whatever the fuck _those_ were.

“I’m sure your nanny can go in your place.” Her blonde friend said, sitting down on a couch opposite of her- of us. She looked up and saw us standing there, looking extremely lost. “May I offer you two assistance?” She sounded like we had just asked her to babysit our children for free or something.

“Um, no-” I started, taking this as the chance to get out. I grabbed Louis’ hand and started to walk towards the door, but he didn't budge.

In fact, he let go of my hand.

Tyranny, this was tyranny.

“Shouldn't you be going to her pageant? I mean, if she’s your daughter and all.” Louis said, raising his eyebrows at the women. The brown haired lady with the daughter named Darla turned around to face us while the two other women who were with them looked surprised.

“ _Par_ don me?” She asked and Louis continued while I inched towards the door.

“Well, I mean, you’re going to abandon your child to go shopping? How many pageants has your daughter been in?” His accent was thick, I guess with disgust maybe.

His distaste was actually kind of hot, but I studily ignored that fact.

“While this is none of your business, young man, this is her first pageant I think. And who are _you_ to tell me how to raise my child? Shopping is important-”

“You think 8 years is old enough for her to understand that her mom isn't cheering her on because buying clothes from the store 'Fucking pretentious' is more important than she is?” Louis asked, and I beckoned for him to come to me, because you can’t just tell a mother how to well… mother.

No matter how much of a booger they are.

Louis saw me- finally, I was doing jumping jacks to get his attention- and started to move towards me.

“Look, if you want that poor little 8 year old to hate you for the rest of your pompous, spoiled life, skip her pageant.” He stated, and then threw up a middle finger as we stepped out into the not-so-cool air.

“ _Louis_ …”

“Don’t start on me, someone had to tell her. Her basic ass blonde friend definately wouldn't.” He said, and then looked around.

The house/mansion that we had actually entered to get into the club wasn’t too far from here.

There was a golf course that everyone was walking towards that was pretty far away, though, almost on the other side of Jupiter. It’d take like 15 minutes to get to the end of the endless lawn and to the beginning of the golf field, and everyone was making the trek on their own. I considered just slipping back into the building, or better yet, leaving.

“ ** _Fuck_**!” Louis exclaimed suddenly, jumping up and skipping.

In the opposite direction of the group that was meandering towards the golf course, _of_ course.

He was headed towards the mansion/house. I shrugged and followed him as he walked towards a golf cart that had two people standing next to it, actively placing some of their golf stuff on the back of it, a lady and a man.

We got into hearing distance of the couple and Louis slowed his skip, listening as I looked up at the sky, noting how gorgeous the blue sky looked, decorated with a variety of clouds.

“Harvard, do you need any new equipment?” I heard the man's wife ask him, the chinking of golf clubs floating to me.

“Why,Yes ho- ** _hey_**!” The man shouted.

I looked down and at he golf cart, startled by the man's sudden outburst.

Louis was sitting in the front seat of the golf cart and was pressing on the gas, looking completely at ease as he started driving towards me, my mouth gaping open.

As he gained some speed he started to get closer and screamed a rushed “Get _in_!” and pointed to the open passenger seat. I watched the cart get closer to me and then flicked my gaze at the flabbergasted look on the couple’s faces as I decided between apologizing or jumping into the moving vehicle.

Granted, the cart was moving at 20 miles per hour, but still, it wasn't docile.

I made a loud complaining noise as I grabbed the side bar of the cart and launched myself inside, abandoning all thoughts of looking elegant due to the fact that i’d probably fall out if I tried.

I groaned and sat up in the seat, glaring at Louis. “This is illegal.” I gasped out, trying to catch my breath.

“They gave it to me.”

“ _Wh_ -”

“The key was in the ignition. _Obviously_ that was an invitation.Besides, i’m just borrowing it.” He said as the husband started jumping up and down, getting smaller and smaller as the distance widened between us and them. Louis rolled his eyes and reached behind him, easily shoving all the stuff off the back of the cart as we drove towards my family, currently climbing a hill to get to the golf course.

After a few scream filled minutes we caught up with the group that was ahead of us Louis slowed down some, and I looked in the rearview mirror. The couple that Louis had borrowed from was long gone, nothing but maybe specs in the distance. We rolled up next to Rose and Xavier holding hands, walking in the front of the group.

“Where you guys headed?” Louis asked in a southern accent as Rose eyed the cart and then glared at the rabid chapstick that was Louis Tomlinson.

“Did you steal that cart?” Rose asked and Louis lifted his hands from the wheel and placed them on his chest, faking offense.

“How very _dare_ you!” Louis gasped.

“So you… didn’t steal the cart?” Xavier asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

Oh _god_ , I was dating a rich delinquent.

“No, of course not. I’m only just renting it.”

“ _What in the Sam's heck are you weari_ -” Rose started and Louis cut her off.

“I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. I was too busy mmmblocking out the haters.” Louis retorted, diverting his attention to Xavier.

“Wait... am I missing _drama_ right now?” The voice belonged to Dom. I whipped my head around and found him jogging- well, fast walking- next to the cart and I grinned.

“ ** _Dom_**!” I screamed and then he screamed, and then Louis screamed, and then Rose just looked annoyed.

After a few minutes of driving comfortably next to the group that was my family, Xavier spoke up.

“Wait- you never told us the price.” He pointed out as I chatted with Dom.

“You know _what_? I came out here to have a good time and _honestly_ i’m just feeling so _attacked_ right now!” Louis interjected as he promptly put the pedal to the metal, making us lurch in a way that made me uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable for my life.

We managed to get to the place where the golf land started, a huge open field that seemed to go on forever in all directions- littered with sand and ditches and flags with holes, and people dotted over these places, swinging clubs and fetching balls, and clapping. Louis parked in front of a tiny building that was marked as “Golf station” and leaned back.

“You’re not going to golf?” I asked, surprised.

“What? _Ew_ , golfing is lame. I’m out here because everyone else is. Not to mention, I got a golf cart out of it.”

“I thought you were just borrowing it?”

“Sure.” Louis said, resting his arm on the seat behind me and looking in the direction of the group we had left behind, their figures blurry from their distance. “And anyway, what made you think i’d like golfing out of everything- _anything_ out there in the world for me to like? Is it because you like the thought of me bending over?”

A gust of wind blew our direction and attacked Louis' hair, which fell into his eyes. He impatiently wiped a strand away and jiggled his leg from restlessness, watching a couple celebrate over doing a putt or some boring shit like that.

“It seems like something a brussel sprout cult leader would be into.” I said, and shrugged, watching him.

He lolled his head back and then smiled at me, flicking his eyes from the golf building to me, and back again.

“Wanna go hug and stuff in that golf shed?”

I ignored the fact that his eyes were eyes, and rolled my own.

“Louis, someone is _working_ in that building, we can’t just bust up in there and make out.”

“Whoa, whoa, _whoa_ , there buster. I strictly said ' _Hug_ '.” Louis stated, and drummed his fingers against the seat behind me.

“What do you think about them?” I asked Louis, diverting his attention to Xavier and Rose, whose figures were becoming less and less blurry as they got closer.

“I think that they’re in love.” Louis responded, his voice genuine.

“Yeah, me too.” I murmured.

“‘Ave you ever been in love?” Louis asked. My eyes snapped to his and I reeled a little, surprised by his question.

Fucking coming at me sideways and shit.

“I… no, I don’t think so.”

“Do you think you _could_ fall in love? ”

“I-w...where is this coming from?” I asked, turning my body towards him.

“I don’t know. I’ve never been in love either, by the way. I used to be 2,000 percent sure it was impossible.” He uttered the last part under his breath as a side comment, so I left it alone, sure I hadn’t heard it correctly anyway.

“If you _must_ know, I like you more than i’ve _ever_ liked a boy before.” I said the last part like a stereotypical teenage girl and twiddled my hair, batting my eyelashes at him.

He snorted.

"Well, we only went out for a week, but-” I started.

“‘ _Went_ ’? You make it sound like it’s going to stop when we go back.”

“Well I don’t _know_ that, Louis. You have suiters.” I said, looking down at my nails.

“Isn’t suitors like… the male term?”

“Don’t be sexist.” I reprimanded. He sighed.

“I feel suited towards _you_.” He said bluntly, like what he said was nothing but a simple fact. Then the group reached us and Dom spread out on the back of the cart, pulling his shades over his eyes.

“If you need me, that’s too fucking bad, cuz i’ll be asleep. Don’t bother me. Like, at all. don’t even breathe in my direction, thanks.” And he got comfortable and basically nodded off, his body soaking up the sun.

* * *

We were about to leave- a good couple hours later- when a few men walked past Louis, one of them holding a cane that he obviously didn’t need.

Because he was waving it around as he spoke.

I swear to _god_  when anyone laughed or spoke in this place it sounded like an English man with a mustache and a pipe was having a splendid conversation.

“Mmmmmmmmm yes, _yes_. I’m making a good 2k every week, mmmmyeeeess.” The man with the cane said to his friend, his hair slicked back and greasy.

Greasy with pretentious. 

Louis gave them a disgusted look (everybody had already piled into their cars and left, but Louis had forced me to wait because he ‘Had to take a wee) and scoffed.

“Oh, _Patrick_. I wish I had as much money as you do. I guess you could just throw me with those poor fellows you see eating garbage off the streets, for I only make a _measly_ 600 a day.” Then they both laughed and Louis got _that_ look on his face.

I placed my hand on his chest- we were so close to the front door, man, so fucking close.

“Lou…”

“I’m not going to do anything.” He promised and I eyed him, deciding that he was telling the truth. I guess he wanted to get out of here as badly as I did.

But as Louis had his hand on the doorknob and was wrenching the wood open,the frozen heart-attack of a man laughed and said- “Oh, _my_ , you might as well to be licking _dirt_  off the ground, Joe Bobby. I’m afraid that you’ll be equal to a _slave_  with the amount of money you make a day.”

And then they both gave hearty, pretentious laughs.

And then all I saw was Louis looking _angry_.

Like, Anthony talked to me angry.

Like Lena exists kind of angry.

And then I couldn't hope to stop him as he shoved between the both of them and jumped onto the nearest coffee table, clearing his throat to get everyone's attention.

And he looked right at them.

In a mocking tone he screamed “I’m rich as _fuck_! I think everyone should be eating my _shit_ because it’s made of the finest  _gold in all the seven seas_! Some bitch should be sucking my _ass_ right now, it’s the only way they’ll get any _value_ out of their life!” And then he actually did the nae nae.

The nae nae.

And he jumped off the table and shoved past the awe-stricken men, ignoring the startled cries of the women scattered around the room.

All i could do was openthe door and allow him to back out of it, vigorously flipping off the room while screaming a loud  “Fucking _Willy-wonka sweets_!”

I gave an encouraging thumbs up to the room before I walked out the door behind him, leaning against it once it shut. Louis stood on the sidewalk and smirked, taking my hand.

“Oops.”

* * *

I watched as Louis flung open the door to my closet and rummaged through it, pulling out a black garment bag and shaking it at me.

It looked more like a bag they would shove my body into once I died from wearing the bridesmaids dress it contained.

“When do you put it on?” Louis asked, his voice laced with amusement. I looked up from the bag of death and at him. He was smiling and stroking his thumb across the top of the bag.

It was _extremely_ distracting.

“In the church-give me that thing.” I said, reaching for it and staring at the bag like anything with particles would stare at a Lena. I placed it on a little hook on the back of the bedroom door and shut it, pressing my back against the wood as I did.

And then it hit me.

My brother is getting married.

I’ve known him since like… he was born and stuff.

At least he was getting married to Rose. She was good to him. And he was good to her.

The thought of my brother getting married made me gasp a little and I sort of just crumpled to the floor into a criss-cross position, my back sliding against the door as I went. Louis looked a little surprised (but more amused) and walked across the room, standing over me.

His ankles (one of them had a lock tattoo carved into it) were in my line of sight and I looked up, trailing over his legs-in basketball shorts- and those those thighs so thick, his stomach- in a purple “Vans off the wall” Tee-, his *gulp* collarbones, his eyes.

He was looking at me with an intimidating amount of interest and then sunk to the floor himself-criss-crossed too-, with more purpose and probably a lot more elegance.

Well, elegance was probably overdoing it a little.

Like, damn I'm so far up his ass.

He pressed his palms against the cold floor and leaned in until he was close enough to make me more self-conscious than I usually was.

“Why so _broody_ , love?” He asked, and I was deemed a bit speechless by his blue eyes and his face.

All that teenage angsty shit.

“I was just filled with an overwhelming amount of emotion.”

“ _Shit_ , what happened? Did someone drink your-”

“If you even _assume_ that someone would have the _audacity_ \- look, Lou, I just mean that my brother’s getting married. He’s tying the knot. He’s has to be hitched for the rest of his life and _wants_ it., _asked_ for it. He’s amazing. I hope Lena falls up the stairs.” I threw that last part in because I imagined Lena walking down a flight of stairs and then suddenly slipping and falling _up_ them.

That'll show her.

“I don’t think that’s amazing. I think that’s fucking _luck_ , babe.” Then he leaned in so far that he had to move his palms from resting on the floor to resting on the door behind me, on either side of my person. I looked up from his decorated arms to his eyes, and he sighed. “I personally thought that everything was just a mindless shag, to be honest. _Well_ , I thought that finding a girl to fall in love with with was against my luck.”

“Well, relationships aren’t that much better, the boys get distracted by Lena’s hips, or her thighs, or her boobs, or the fact that she’s skilled in the art of inhaling the souls of orphan children. You know, not really marriage material.”

“I haven’t been distracted by the fact that Lena gets her energy from the tears of babies. In fact, I think I prefer you. Even over my fellow sprouts.” Louis whispered, his mouth a few inches from mine, now.

I tried not to breathe too heavily as I remembered that Louis wasn’t really in the _healthiest_ of sexual states right now.

“You proposing, Tomlinson?” I muttered out, my hand pressing against his stomach, making a feeble attempt to push him away.

Like, so feeble that I only ended up holding my hand against his stomach and slightly rubbing the area.

He shook his head and his eyes flickered to my mouth, becoming dark.

“I could wreck you- right now.” He murmured, one of the hands he had pressed against the door slid off and trailed up and down my thigh as he pressed his forehead against mine.

Sideways come at me, I say.

I was either 2 seconds from telling him to eat a dick or 2 _seconds_ away from jumping him like a fucking _rope_.

I was weak.

Like child.

I let him press his lips against mine, his hand squeezing my thigh. He pulled away- only a little bit, his forehead still rested against mine, my breathing was still irregular, and his eyes were still dark.

God, he’s such a windy front door.

“No?” I denied him, but it was more of a question,really, because I actually didn’t know if I was denying him.

He smiled- the little shit knew what he was doing to me- and moved his hand from my thigh, wrapping around the wrist of the hand I had pressed against his stomach instead.

“I’m _fucked_.” He said slowly, sounding as if he has just figured out the punch line to a cosmic joke.

“I’m not.” I only said it to be funny, I swear.

His thumb stroked the inside of my wrist and he smiled against my mouth. “Do you want to be?” His voice was low.

I didn’t have time to respond because he was kissing me again, this one with a little more dedication behind it. His hand squeezed against my wrist as the kiss got deeper, more concrete.

I didn’t want to break my dad’s rules again, but Louis was practically in my lap, begging for it.

His voice was laced with pure lust, I couldn’t rip myself away if I tried.

And I didn’t try very hard.

We were passionately making out for an embarrassing amount of time when there was a quick rap against my door, followed by it being immediately shoved open.

Louis and I had been pretty dependent on that door, so when it opened we tumbled over, Louis on his back and me sprawled out on top of him.

I was able to tell that he was hard, and I choked down my disappointment.

Not in him, of course.

More with the fact that I hadn’t discovered this fact on the most ideal of terms.

I climbed off him and stood up, righting my shirt as I did so.

It was a _heated_ make-out session.

Anthony was standing at the door, looking a bit steamed.

A lot like the sex I could've has.

“We’re leaving for the church soon.” Anthony said, his eyes flickering from me to the fallen form of a liquified tornado, whom was sporting an _obvious_ erection, even from here.

“Well, _fuck_ , mate. Could’ve told us through the door, innit?”

“Um…”

“I’m assuming that by ‘um’ you mean ‘Sorry for cock-blocking, I was just being a wingus.’.” Louis commented as he got up, and Anthony looked like a mixture of sadness, jealousy and the word offended.

“You guys were….?” Anthony asked slowly, as if he was torn between asking the question or crumpling to the floor.

 ** _I_** certainly felt like crumpling to the floor from embarrassment at this point, so I didn’t see why it would be unacceptable for Anthony to.

“Bloody hell.” And he rolled his eyes and walked past Anthony, giving him a thumbs up on the way out.

Anthony just stood there and watched me, a bit of pain in his eyes.

I didn’t fucking ask for this, man.

“He’s vulgar.” Anthony commented after a moment.

“You are just… you're just _skilled_ at pointing out Louis’ flaws, huh?” I commented, looking up at him. He was still standing in the doorway, watching me.

“It’s just… you broke up with me- told me it was because of the distance- and then come back with this man- _boy_ , who doesn’t have an ounce of decency- and parade him around in my face?”

I rolled my eyes and pushed past him, definitely in the mood to be drinking something _strong_ right now.

Like a whole  _cup_ of root beer.

“No...  _stop_." He grabbed my wrist, effectively stopping me at the top of the staircase. "What _is_ this? Can’t you just drop him? ’ll come live with you in the city, i’ll get a job there. We can _be_ together-” He was ranting, and I was panting.

Panting from the effort of not sitting him in a chair so that I could tip it over.

“Anthony, do you think I fucking _asked_ for Louis to bust up off the streets of New York and jump me? Because I didn’t. How many people do?”

“Are you saying that I didn’t make you feel like he does?”

I just looked at him, a solemn look. Maybe because I don’t think I really ever thought of it that way before. That Louis made me feel like Anthony never has- and Anthony was once my strongest relationship.

We’ve only been together for a fucking _week_.

He didn’t comment on me basically verifying his statement, but looked a little too _not_ rejected as he stalked off down the stairs.

I sighed and back-tracked to the bedroom, grabbing the body bag for the wedding.

* * *

We stood in the pastor’s office in the church- I guess it didn’t have a side room or anything other than the bathrooms- as we watched Rose transform.

Well, not really transform, she was already practically royalty.

The room was a big square, with a lot of lights and a heavy, oak desk in the corner- cluttered, horribly cluttered- and a huge mirror was positioned in front of the wall across from the door, and a little tiny stool was in front of it, one that Rose was currently balancing on.

Well, I guess since she wasn't me it was more like standing.

She had on her dress- a gorgeous dress, a beautiful orange dress with beading on the stomach and the bottom, a pattern that made me wonder why we were even being _consumed_ by these bridesmaids dresses.

Her hair was up and clipped into an elegant bun with a brilliant pink clasp, her necklace was huge and ornate, and pink.

A little too gaudy, but to each her own atrocious pink jewelry.

She had on pink bracelets and shoes too.

I think my mom was actually crying more than Rose’s own mother currently was, standing next to Rose and occasionally patting her dress from maternal worry.

Rose's mom was actually out of commission, though, and endless stream of water was pouring violently out of her eyes.

A river was slowly forming at her feet.

I could swim to the door from here.

“Mom, don’t cry, you’ll start making me cry." Rose persuaded, stepping off the podium and pulling her mother into a hug, considerably taller than her because of the shoes.

It was really touching, it made me want to get married a little bit.

I imagined walking down the aisle in not-so-disgusting colors, as I was interrupted by Dom taking off his sunglasses (they said “butt fuck or shut up”) and sitting up a little in the chair next to mine.

“Or before someone slips.” He was talking about Rose’s mom crying a lot, and looked pointedly at my as if I was the only person who could slip on tears.

He wasn't wrong.

I grabbed the sunglasses out of his hand and chucked them across the room, sitting back in the chair as I crossing my legs.

He placed his fingertips lightly on his chest and gasped theatrically. 

“Well, I just figured if you were going to throw shade...” He gasped again and I groaned, trying desperately to pull the hem of the dresses' skirt down to hit at maybe not my vagina.

I swear this dress has gotten shorter in the small amount of time since I've tried it on and actually wore it.

I was pretty sure I just felt a breeze float through my uterus.

I stood up when the official guy knocked on the door and told us that the ceremony was starting in about 5 minutes, tripping a little over my shoes as I tried to move across the room.

That’s when Lena sauntered up to my mom with a troubled look clouding her eyeball.

“Do you think something’s wrong with my shoes….? I think something's wrong with my shoes.” Then she modeled her legs and pointed to the fucked up kicks, and they looked like disaster.

My mom looked pretty alarmed and started to say that she should take them off right now, but Rose interjected before the words could leave her mouth.

“They look mighty fine to me.” Lena looked like she as going to argue with Rose but then thought better of it and sat her crispity ass down.

Then we all started moving out of the room when the official guys showed up again, and got into the bridesmaid and best-man line, pairing up. I stood behind Lena as we walked out, holding a bouquet of orange and pink roses (obviously).

She tried talking to me, turning back and smiling. "I saw a glimpse of your um... boyfriend, and he looks like he's wearing a pretty nice suit for someone so  _poor_. Did he steal it?" She looked so innocent, holding a bouquet and batting her eyelashes of liquid bitch.

"Lena... he  _bought_ his clothes."

"Oh my god, like... did he get them from like... a.. like a  _thrift_ store?"

"No. I mean, maybe, but probably not."

"Oh my god he went to one of those places that gives poor people stuff?" She sounded so grossed out, I was upset.

"I  _just_ said that he bought it-"

"God, for such a hot guy it's kind of disgustin-"

"Lena, he's fucking  _rich_ , damn!" I screamed, startling the other bridesmaids and people rushing around.

" _What_?"

"He's  _rich_ , he's a billionaire, he's got a lot of money, he owns like everything or some shit like that."

Then her entire face changed from absolute disgust and repulsion to absolute attraction, her eyes lighting up and  _everything_. Before she had a chance to speak, we were being rushed out.

The whole church was quiet as we walked out, looking interested and intrigued, Louis sitting in the front pew (which was definitely reserved for Rose’s immediate family) and glaring hard at Anthony, who in turn was beaming at being around my arm.

We lined up near the alter and stood still, Anthony saying “He’s also the jealous type- A huge turn off, huh?” and I responded with “ _you’re_ not an attractive trait.” as the bridal's song came on and Anthony had t shut his damned face.

I hadn’t even noticed that Anthony was at the alter yet.He looked smart, dressed in an expensive suit and a smile, nervously clenching and un-clenching his fists.

And when Rose appeared at the end of aisle he looked as if he had been hit by a train and his eyes started watering as his smile- somehow- got wider, his hand moving up to rest on his heart.

I swear to god if they got any cuter I was going to start crying too.

And she reached the alter, her father leaving her,looking proud. He moved to go sit in the first pew, but Louis was in his way, so he moved to the second pew, ignoring Louis’ actions of sliding over and patting the empty space for her father to sit in.

He actually shoved into one of the aunts on Rose's side in the desperate attempt to make room, forcing her to exclaim in disgust.

She moved up to take Xavier’s hands, wiping her eyes with the back of their intertwined hands and smiling just as fondly back at him as the priest gave a small smile.

“We are gathered here today…”

* * *

I sat at the table I was assigned to, settling next to Louis.

My aunt Martha- everyone else at the table had gone off to get food, but Louis and I had decided to wait until the line cleared up- was sustaining herself off the flask that she had hidden inside of her purse.

“They look like they‘re in _so_ much love.” Aunt Martha said, clasping her chest- more dramatically than even Dom has achieved.

“I think they'll last a while.” Louis commented, running a finger up and down a champagne glass- full of sparkling white grape- absentmindedly and fondling a rogue bottle of ketchup with his other hand. Bottles of various condiments had been placed at every table, I guess to give the guests some reprieve if they didn't like the food.

He was wearing a black suit with a white tie and slacks, and I was pretty sure that Rose had previously begged him to slick his hair back, but Louis had definitely given no thought to the matter because his hair was messy and lacked any form of slick-back.

It was okay, though, because I preferred it a hot mess.

Hot

And a mess.

And he looked so good in a suit. Aunt Martha couldn’t keep her eyes off him, and I couldn’t even _try_ to blame her.

Even though she’s like, 200.

He looked at me and gave an encouraging smile- the kind you give someone if you make eye contact but didn’t really mean to- and looked past me, at the entrance of the huge ballroom.

Rose and Xavier were coming through the entrance, Rose sporting an orange cocktail dress -nowhere near as trashy as ours- and the pink bow Louis had bought for her, her eyes scanning the crowd as they walked to the middle of the dance-floor and had their couple’s dance.

After the couple’s dance is when the party _really_ started, and most of the people who had been sitting at the tables were now dancing.

Louis got up and held his hand out to me. I made a face because I don’t dance, and I was 100% sure that if I did I'd end up molesting someone by accident.

He rolled his eyes “I’m asking you to go get food with me?”

I made a pretty embarrassing sound in hasty agreement as I took his hand, walking to the food section.

As I got at least 300 helpings of macaroni and cheese I felt _some_ thing getting food at a station behind me. I knew it was Lena because the feeling of hatred and immense cramping slammed into me.

“Don’t you think that’s a lot of macaroni? God, you are just feeding the fat that’s already getting a little out of control.” I turned around to face the chargerless laptop and let out a long, breathy, loud sigh.

“Well, I have to feed something that’s _not_ Satan, I mean, he’s already full enough from you fueling him, you know?”

Then she looked past me at Louis. He was sitting at the table on his phone, shoveling food into his mouth at regular intervals, laughing at the screen over things he’d probably tell me later. She smiled.

“Scuse' me.” And then she very rudely pushed past me to go plonk down on the empty seat next to Louis.

My empty seat.

I followed her and sat down between Louis and Aunt Martha. (Who had finished off her flask and looked absolutely devastated about it.)

“Hey, Aunt Martha, are you having a good time?” I asked, obligated to speak since I had, in fact, sat down next to her.

“Well, I _was._  Until I ran out of prune juice.” She said bitterly, staring sadly at her flask, turning it over and shaking it, a few splashes of dark purple liquid falling onto the table.

“I’m sorry, Aunt Ma-”

“Whose that boy?” She asked, and inclined her head in Louis’ direction, I guess assuming that we had just been sat together.

“Louis Tomlinson- we’re dating.”

“Really? I thought you were a lesbian... He’s handsome.” And she got up to go get food herself.

I looked over at the twosome who was looking extremely irritated, Lena practically jumping into his lap.

“This is your last day here, isn’t it?” Lena asked, batting her eyelashes and smiling at Louis like a salesperson on a home shopping network.

“...Yeah.” He said, pushing her off his lap.

She was like a cat, whenever Louis pushed her away, she reverted back.

I hope she inhales a black hole.

“Well, maybe you should go home with at least _one_  good memory. Sometimes you make it hard to breathe, you know.” She had lowered her voice now, still high enough so that I could hear her, and I risked a glance in their direction.

Her hand was against his chest and her mouth was practically _living_ in his ear, her hair tickling his chin.

He wrapped his hand softly around her wrist and then pushed it away from him, flicking his wrist and giving her a glare. “Maybe you’ll be able to get some air if you take a second to get off my _dick_.” and he grabbed the bottle of mustard and held it over her head, squeezing relentlessly.

A long line of yellow substance started flowing furiously out of the bottle, making contact with her head. Louis made a straight face, moved his hand around to spread it out. It happened so fast that the bottle was already mostly over before Lena could get out of the way.

She shoved her chair back and stood, making a loud gasping noise and then shrieked, jumping up and down.

“Oh my **_god_**!” She was screaming still, causing a scene. She had mustard all in her hair, all over her dress, basically everywhere.

The dress was still just as unpleasant as Lena was, though.

She moved her hand up to feel where the mustard was located in her hair, but only did a better job of smearing it into her scalp.

I was doubled over in laughter, Louis too.

She started to rush out of the room, screaming her head off as Louis stood up and yelled.

“ ** _Oi_**!” She took a second to turn around, looking mustard. Louis gestured to his face. “You’ve got a little… a little mustard there, love.” Lena scoffed and turned back around, returning to her previous action of rushing out the door.

I was still laughing as I stood up to go get some dessert, having to weave and bob around some people who were milling about, talking.

Or maybe trying desperately to get away from the dance floor, some of the relatives were absolutely, ferociously, violently dancing.

It was actually a really difficult task, trying to maneuver around these people.

So difficult in fact,that I sort of ended up trying to skirt around the cake table, sort of ending up accidentally slamming against the cake table.

And I sort of watched as it wobbled a little, some people already watching it.

And I sort of watched as it chose to not stabilize and slowly started leaning a little too far to the side.

And I sort of watched as it toppled over, crashing to the floor with a loud “ ** _Splat_**!” sound, the only noise I could hear.

Well, the only noise I could hear other than the one that came from across the room.

The one that was saying “ _My **cake**_!”

* * *

I sheepishly shuffled into my room after Louis, kicking off my shoes and feeling absolutely terrible about what I did to Rose’s cake.

She had gotten angry.

Like, really, fucking angry, like, damn.

So, she kicked me out as opposed to stabbing me in the neck with a plastic spoon.

She kind of just shook, her fists clenched on either side of her, making no noise as she pointed slowly towards the door.

And I grabbed my things as fast as possible and ran out-faster than Lena had- with Louis right behind me, calling out “I’ll pay for the cake!” As we retreated.

“Wow.” He said, kicking his shoes off and sitting on my bed. I sat down next to him criss-cross and rested my head on his shoulder, sighing.

“I know, I feel horrible.”

“I would, too.”

“Really?” I asked, lifting my head to look at him, glad that I could find some support.

“Er...” And he looked at me as I sighed. “It's really just karma from having to wear that dress.” he commented and I sighed again in agreement this time.

“This is probably the most provocative thing i’ve ever worn.”

“ _Tell_ me about it.” Louis agreed and I looked at him, raising my eyebrows. “I’ve been fighting the urge to drag you into a bathroom." He said, pulling out his phone.

“And do _what_? It’s not like you have extra clothes to make me put on...” I said, genuinely full of wonder as to why he was fighting the urge to drag me into a bathroom.

He looked up at me and put down his phone, laying it on the bed somewhere.

“ _Fuck_ you, Cecily. I was fighting the urge to _fuck_ you.”

He placed his hand on my knee and then trailed his finger up my leg, up my thigh. He took the route again as he spoke.

Then he positioned himself so that he was facing me more, his phone long forgotten as his fingers trailed the rest of the way up my thigh, hitching the skirt up to my waist.

I wrapped my hand around his wrist and looked at him.

“Lou…”

Then he kissed me, a desperate kiss, one that had my constricting hand on his wrist slack in _seconds_.

He moved his hand up to my chest and gently pushed me back on the bed, unbuttoning his over-jacket and throwing it somewhere, probably, as he moved to straddle me, starting up the kissing again.

I groaned and pulled away after a while, trying to catch my breath and clear my head.

“ _Loui_ -”

He stopped whatever delicious thing he was doing to my neck and propped himself up on his elbows, looking at me.

“Not that i’m trying to be pushy, love, but is there a reason you’re so adamant about not having sex with me?” I decided not to yell at him because his eyes looked genuinely concerned, and I knew he was just worried.

“I don’t know, I guess I don’t want to have sex with you the day before you drop me.” I didn’t mean for the last part to come out the way he did- I knew I had brought this subject up before and he had assured me that he wasn’t going anywhere, but to be honest, he was a guy.

And guys suck.

And this could suck.

“You’re so _wrong_.” He said, looking down at me. “Seriously, honestly, this has been my best week, and if I go anywhere it’ll be for you. Or an ice cream, one.”

I moved my hand up and flicked his cheek- he blinked.

“So, if I let you put your hand in the cookie jar-”

“Don’t… love, don’t say that, please _ever_.”

“You’re not just going to run off as soon as we exit the plane?”

“No, because someone has to drive me home.”

I smiled and kissed him, sated for the moment.

“Besides, I think I might’ve left my house key in your apartment, and I’m going to really need that back, you know.”

_**Fucking Asshole.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to give hella props to my homies, one of hem being my best homie, we like to call her Ariam.  
> She gave me a lot of ideas for the fiction- a countless amount, actually. Most notably the cake-fight scene, a good amount of insults, and for actually reading the fic, so shout out.  
> Or in Louis' words  
> "SHOUT OUT"  
> Also, i'm forgetting the other thing she gave me an idea for, so like, yeah.

**Author's Note:**

> P.S I haven't really had anyone to review this fic (im a loner, ok) so, I apologize for anything horrendous like grammar, or spelling, or writing in the first place, things of that nature.  
> 


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